Crispy Baked Falafel

Tinned chickpeas are already cooked and full of water, and falafel made from them collapses into mush in the oven. Dried chickpeas soaked overnight stay raw and starchy, which is what holds the ball together. There is no substitute and no shortcut.

1. 1

   Cover the dried chickpeas with plenty of cold water and leave them overnight. They will roughly triple in size.

   For this step

   • 1½ cups (300 g) dried chickpeas
2. 2

   Drain them very thoroughly and pat dry, then blitz with the onion, garlic, herbs and spices until it looks like coarse damp sand. Stop before it becomes a paste.

   For this step

   • 1 onion
   • 4 cloves garlic
3. 3

   Stir in the flour, baking powder and a good teaspoon of salt, then refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes so it firms up.

   For this step

   • 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
   • 2 tbsp (16 g) plain flour
4. 4

   Heat the oven to 200C fan and put a lined tray in to get hot.

5. 5

   Squeeze the mixture into 18 tight balls, flatten them slightly, and lay them on the hot tray. Brush the tops generously with olive oil.

   For this step

   • 1 cup (30 g) flat leaf parsley
   • 3 tbsp olive oil
6. 6

   Bake for 25 minutes, turning once at 15, until deep golden and crisp on both faces.

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