Falafel and tzatziki (Slimming World friendly)

I love falafel and of course they are usually deep fried but this recipe bakes them in the oven so not only are they delicious they are syn free ! They are great as a healthy snack or served with a salad they make a filling and tasty lunch. The tzatziki is fresh with cooling yogurt and cucumber and goes brilliantly with the falafal. If you have never tried them before give them a go they are simple to make.


Falafel

1 large onion (peeled and finely chopped)
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
small bunch fresh coriander (chopped)
low calorie spray oil


Preheat the oven to Gas 6/200/400

Spray a frying pan with the spray oil and add the onion and fry over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until softened (add a little water if it starts to stick). Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Add to a food processor with the chickpeas, garlic, spices, fresh coriander, salt and pepper. Blitz for a few minutes then scrape the sides down and blitz again. Don't make it too smooth it's good to have a little texture.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and then take spoonfuls of the mixture and shape into a patty by rolling into a small ball then press down to make the shape. Place the falafel patties on the baking tray and spray with the spray oil.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until browned.

Syn free


Tzatziki

250ml fat free Greek yogurt
half a cucumber
1 clove garlic (crushed)
6 fresh mint leaves (chopped finely)
1/2 tsp salt


Place the yogurt, garlic, mint and salt in a bowl.  Cut the cucumber in half longways and scrape out all the seeds using a teaspoon and discard the seeds. Grate the cucumber and mix into the yogurt mixture.

Mix well and taste you might need a little more salt.

Syn free