Bake-Fried Falafel

These crusty chickpea fritters—redolent with garlic and cumin—are Israel’s national fast food, served at countless shops and street stalls from Acre to Elat. The simple fritter becomes a whole meal when piled in a pita bread with pickled vegetables, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce or cabbage, and tahini sauce. Normally, the deep-frying would preclude inclusion in a low-fat cookbook, so I decided to try bake-frying the fritters in the oven. For extra tenderness, I used canned, not the tradi