Falafel is usually made with chickpeas and/or fave beans and fried into round balls or patties. They are served with pita bread or any flat breads and hummus or tahini based sauces.
I make my own version of falafel – with green lentils instead and adding other nutrient dense ingredients. I don’t know if we can even call this a falafel or it is simply a burger or patties, whatever the name, I hope you’ll make them and enjoy them.

• 2 cups cooked Green Lentils
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour/gram flour
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/4 tsp cardamon powder
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup fresh mint
• 1 tsp sea salt or more to taste
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 2 tbs sesame seeds

• Process all in above ingredients apart from flax and sesame seeds
  in a food processor till well combined and coarsely smooth.
• Add the flax and sesame seeds and pulse a couple of times.
• Spray Olive oil on a baking tray and drop dollops of the falafel
  mixture then flatten a little.
• Spray the top surface of the falafels with some olive oil too.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350F / 180C for 12 to 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes.
• These falafels are slightly crispy on the outside and soft inside.

I used Romaine lettuce as a wrap and served the falafels with avocado, sprouts, fresh mint and a yummy sauce made with:

• 1 tbs almond butter
• 1 tsp tahini
• juice of half lemon
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp agave
• sea salt + black pepper
• water

Blend it all together, taste, adjust, add more or not, be done. Enjoy!
This was originally published in Neeta’s Healthy Plate by Neeta Bali.