Baked Falafel & Tahini Dip

Be ready to munch as many falafels as you can without any guilt. For a crispier Falafel, the mixture is very well flattened and might look like chickpea patties. Chickpeas are rich in protein and very good for your diet. Normally the deep-fried falafels we eat at the restaurants use uncooked chickpeas. I have also used uncooked chickpeas to prepare the mixture. If you are not ok with it, feel free to use the canned or pressure cooked chickpeas. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Chickpeas/garbanzo beans (soaked and drained)

1/4 cup Onion (minced)

2-3 Garlic cloves

1tsp baking powder

1tsp Coriander powder

1tsp Cumin powder

1tsp Lemon juice

1tsp Olive oil

1/2tsp dried red pepper flakes

2tbsp Cilantro (chopped)

1/2tsp Salt

1/4tsp ground Black pepper

How to:

• Blend/grind all the above ingredients coarsely and keep aside.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Shape the mixture into equal size balls, flatten it out and place it on the baking sheet.

• Bake for 15 mins on each side or until browned.

• Let cool and serve warm with the tahini dip.

Dip:

1/4 cup Tahini paste

1 1/2tsp Lemon juice

2tbsp water

Cilantro, minced

Suamc (optional)

• Mix together the above ingredients and add more/less water for desired consistency. 

• Sprinkle sumac and serve as a side.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

A healthy snack, to begin with and yet tasty and crunchy that you can't just munch one. It is  guilt-free and perfect for mindless munching when watching a movie. Ditch the buttered popcorn and opt for these 'good for you' munchies. Also play with the seasonings to make it even more flavorful. Here goes the basic recipe,

Ingredients:

1 large Sweet Potato (found this sweet variety of potato displayed under the name 'Yams')

Black Pepper

Salt

Oil Spray

How to:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Cut the ends of the sweet potato and thinly slice'em with a mandoline slicer.

• Line a couple of baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil.
• Now lay the potato slices on the sheet, not overlapping with each other. Spray the potato slices with oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.

• Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. After 15 mins keep an eye on the baking chips as it might blacken very quickly.

• Serve hot as a snack.