14 servings; 20 min preparation; 30 min cooking time.

Falafel is perhaps the most known Lebanese food around the world. It’s completely vegan, gluten-free and lower on calories, so It’s pretty much suitable for every diet out there. I really enjoy making and eating falafel, so I tried a slightly different taste this time. 

Falafel is normally made of chickpeas, but I thought that cooked lentils will do the job perfectly. So I replaced the chickpeas and adjusted the seasonings. It turned out well.

The falafels were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. So delicious! And I decided not to fry them in oil, so I prepared one batch in the oven and one – in the AirFryer. Both were good, so choose your own favorite cooking method for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 200 g uncooked red lentils
• 20 g fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

for the yoghurt-dill sauce:

• 2 tbsp Greek or diery-free yoghurt
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh or dried dill
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

Preparation

Cooked the lentils according to the instructions on the package. Drain from the water. Make sure that there is  no water left.

Transfer to a food processor. Add the fresh cilantro and the seasonings. Blend until smooth paste. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C/430 degrees F and cook the falafels for 20 min. If you make them in the AirFryer, cook them on 200 degrees for 15 min.

Make small balls from the paste. Cook them for 15 to 20 min, according to your prefered method. Serve with yoghurt-dill sauce. Enjoy!