Air fryers have become a staple cooking appliance in households across the country. You can use these tiny convection ovens to cook everything from wings and chips to bacon and cookies. But air fryers can make more than your favorite apps and snacks — you can totally use them to prepare a full meal. Take, for instance, this air fried falafel, which can be added to gyros, salads or grain bowls.
Not only is falafel a great protein to incorporate into weeknight dinners, but it’s also a popular food for people who subscribe to the Mediterranean Diet — the best diet overall for four consecutive years as named by The U.S. News & World Report. The diet is inspired by the foodways of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy, Greece and Spain. It focuses on heart and brain-healthy foods like fish, olive oil and nuts. This recipe has the additional healthy benefit of being cooked in the air fryer instead of being deep-fried in oil.
Starchy legumes such as chickpeas are a great source of important minerals that help regulate blood pressure and are a staple in Mediterranean cooking. To turn chickpeas into falafel, place them to a food processor with onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt and cayenne. Once smooth, shape the mixture into balls and add them to an air fryer.
Cook the falafel until brown and crispy then serve in a gyro with a side of tomato cucumber salad and tahini sauce. This recipe is one of many vegetarian dinner recipes that are cheap and easy to make.
Air-fried Falafel with Tahini Sauce and Israeli Salad
This recipe is courtesy of The Mediterranean Table.
Ingredients
