Falafel

Here is my falafel recipe:

Falafel

I like these and I'm trying to eat better.
Print Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package 1 pound - about 2 cups dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • pinch of ground cardamom
  • peanut oil for frying

Method
 

TWO NIGHTS BEFORE
  1. You can actually do this several days in advance.
  2. Soak the beans. Just stick the package of beans in a saucepan, cover with water, put the lid on the saucepan and stick in the frig.
NIGHT BEFORE
  1. Drain the beans.
  2. My food processor is not big enough to everything at once so split the beans and do in two passes.
  3. Put (half) everything but the flour in the food processor and pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together, and a more paste-like consistency will help with that ... but don't overprocess, you don't want it turning into hummus!
  4. Now add the flour and pulse a couple times until you can form "balls" that stay together.
  5. Lay down some aluminum foil. On top of this put some plastic wrap.
  6. Bring the two parts of dough together in a ball and place on the plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Now wrap the aluminum foil around the plastic wrap and wrap tightly.
  7. Put in frig overnight.
FRY
  1. In a cast iron tall skillet put about an inch of peanut oil. Using a thermometer try to get the oil to about 350.
  2. Either make small balls (about one inch across) or flat disks.
  3. I prefer disks as sometimes the middle of balls doesn't cook right.
  4. It's about 2 minutes pre side. I just look at the color.
  5. If they stop fizzing they are out of water and will suck up the oil and be nasty!