Baked Falafel

[fitfool]

Need tips to help me figure out where I went wrong. I wanted falafels and searched online for a whole bunch of recipes. I took the parts of each that I liked or had on hand. Looked great while mixing it. Smelled great while baking it. But then they came out too dry and burnt. Did I leave out something important? (Is the egg to keep it moist?) Any

Comments

[aletapita]

I've never put any egg in my falafel, but then mine always turns out dry as well. My guess just from looking at the picture is that you flattened it too much - all the falafel I've seen in Middle Eastern restaurants is in balls or semi-flattened balls that are definitely thicker in the middle.

[mrplayer444]

ur icon is funny b/c those heart things have gelatin in them. kinda oxymoronic. (unless its special veggie heart candy)

[aletapita]

I didn't realize those heart candies have gelatin in them. I don't like the way they taste anyway, so it's not an issue for me. but i kinda like the fact that it's a contradiction.

[mrplayer444]

i also dont like the way the taste.

[extemporaneous]

I have never had good results with baking falafel. It seems to make a whole lot of difference even if you fry them up in a minimal amount of oil. If you still have leftovers I would suggest frying...just a little.

[blessed_harlot]

Ditto to that. I thought it just was my poor cooking skills.

[fitfool]

Since I had cobbled together this recipe, I had assumed it was a mistake with which ingredients I had decided to include. :-P

[fitfool]

Next time I think I'll fry some and bake some for a side-by-side comparison. But this batch was long gone (I made these a few weeks ago).

[alien_sunset]

We bake our falafel all the time, and sometimes we get as thin as yours was.

My suggestion would to turn down your oven temp (we usually go about 325-375) and bake them for a shorter time. (No more than 1/2 hr)

And of course, keep an eye on them, and if they start to look too brown, take them out.

[fitfool]

I saw several baked falafel recipes online and wasn't sure if those recipes were neglecting to tell me that the falafel would be dried out. Thanks for your suggestions.

[alien_sunset]

ours are sometimes a little dry on the outside, (but we like them crispy like that) and moister on the inside. (although i do admit, when they get too thin, they aren't quite as moist.)

[lizzymommy]

exactly...I always bake my falafel, but tend to use the slightly lower oven temp adn watch like a hawk. I seem to recall 15 minutes on each side, but it was really just about when they were just firm enough to flip with them holding together.

Also, did you use the flax meal that was optional in the recipe? Because flax tends to make things brown up more and might have exacerbated the situation.

I would suggest definitely adding in the egg next time, or at least just the whites. My falafel mixture is pretty darn wet. I know it's hard to tell from pics, but mine seems much moister than yours do - I almost have to coax it into shape.

Yeah - I just double checked my recipe (Falafel burgers from Moosewood Classics - which is lovely if you'd like me to post it) and it's 350 for 30 minutes (I flip halfway).