Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat-type liner.
Add the kale, onion, garlic, parsley, and a cilantro to a blender or food processor, and combine until smooth - about as smooth as you can get it. Make sure there are no big pieces of kale left.
Add the chickpeas, tahini or olive oil, lemon juice, spices, and 2 tb. of the oats. Pulse until the chickpeas reach a very crumbly (but not completely smooth) texture. If the mixture is too thin to be shaped into a ball, add more oats as needed.
Scooping about 3 tablespoons at a time of the chickpea mixture, form into round shapes and place on the baking sheet, then flatten slightly. Repeat until the whole mixture is used.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until firm enough to flip over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes on the other side, until browned and slightly crispy on the outside.
For ease of removing the falafel from the baking sheet, let cool for a few minutes first.
Notes
Olive oil will give a slightly better texture (less crumbly and a bit softer inside) than tahini, but I prefer the taste of the tahini version and wanted to give my readers an oil-free option.For grain-free kale falafel, thicken using an absorbent, grain-free flour or meal such as chickpea flour, tapioca starch, potato flour, or ground flaxseed.