Weekends call for easy food, and since it’s almost Friday aka movie night, I like to keep it simple, snack-like food that you can eat with your hands like Soft Tacos, Burgers or Pizza. Either way this recipe ticks all the boxes. You can make the Falafel in the morning and assemble the Pita’s in the evening when you’re ready to stream that movie.
These Falafels are baked in the oven, so virtually fat free, and super simple, also I have added some chopped dates for a little sweetness and toasted pine nuts for extra flavour.

INGREDIENTS FALAFEL;
• 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped fine
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
• 6 dates, stone removed and chopped
• 3 tbsp. Buckwheat flour or oat flour
• 3 tbsp. Almond flour
• 2 tbsp. nutritional Yeast (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
• small handful fresh Coriander
• 1 tsp. Himalayan sea Salt
• 3 tbsp. Coconut oil
• 1 egg

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas

Pitas for serving, toppings like tomato slices, cooked beet slices, lettuce etc…

Sauce;
• 1/4 cup Aïoli
• 3/4 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/2 garlic, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp. pomegranate Arils
• 1 tsp. olive oil

METHOD;
Toast pine nuts briefly for 3 minutes in a dry pan, set aside.
In a food processor add all the ingredients for the Falafel, except the chickpeas and pine nuts.
Pulse a few times and now add the chickpeas. Again pulse a few time, scrap down with a spatula, and pulse a gain. It should be mushy but with bite and a few chunks left for texture. Now mix in the pine nuts with your spatula. Transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile heat the oven to 220° C / 428° F
Make little ping-pong ball sized balls with slightly wet hands.
Layer them out over a baking tray that has been lined with parchment paper.
Spray generously with olive oil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them over very carefully half way.
Make the sauce by stirring the ingredients together and sprinkle the pomegranate arils over the yogurt sauce, pour over a teaspoon of good olive oil.
Toast pita bread, split open and spread some dipping sauce over it. Stuff with lettuce and some veggeis and eat straight away.

Enjoy!