Falafel

Falafel, or fried chickepea patties, have been on my todo list for a while! Making the quioa tabouleh salad reminded of a photo that I had seen a long time ago where perfectly golden brown falafel were served on a bed of tabbouleh and I figured that it was the perfect time to try making falafel! As it turns out, making light, crispy and perfectly golden brown falafel at home is quite easy, though if you are starting with dried chickpeas you do need to let them soak over night so it takes some planning.

The recipe is pretty simple with a base of the chickpeas along with some onions, garlic, a whole bunch of fresh herbs and some seasonings. Once you have the 'batter' mixed up you form it into balls or patties and fry them until golden brown. It is pretty hard to not eat them all while you are waiting for the next batch to cook but it is good to show some restraint in this case because their are plenty of great ways of serving them! Of course I started out by serving some of them on a bed of the quioa tabouleh salad which made for a really nice light meal.

Falafel

Golden brown balls of chickpeas that are light and crispy on the outside and warm, moist and tender on the inside.

Servings: makes 4+ servings

Prep Time: 16 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 16 hours 30 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans, soaked in cold water overnight
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 lemon, zest
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• cayenne to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pulse the drained chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, coriander, cumin and lemon zest until it forms a coarse meal.
2. Sprinkle in the flour and baking soda and pulse a few times to combine, then test the mixture to make sure that it holds together adding more flour until it does.
3. Refrigerate the mixture in a covered container for a few hours.
4. Form the mixture into balls or patties.
5. Heat oil in pan to 350F, fry the balls in small batches until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Next up was a pita sandwich.

Falafel Pita Sandwich

A pita filled with crispy warm falafel, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta and a tasty tahini yogurt sauce.

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 pitas
• 1/2 cup tahini yogurt sauce
• 1 cup tomato, diced
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1 cup lettuce, shredded
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled (optional)
• 1 batch falafel, warm

Directions

1. Assemble sandwich and enjoy!

There is no need to wait for a sandwich though if you just want to go straight to dipping the falafel right into the thic and creamy tahini and yogurt sauce.

Tahini Yogurt Sauce

A fresh and tangy tahini and yogurt sauce that is just a little bit too addictive.

Servings: makes 1/2 cup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• cayenne to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix everything.

Similar Recipes:
Kolokythokeftedes (Zucchini and Feta Balls)
Greek Style Zucchini Fritters
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Fritters
Chicken Gyro

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ClosetCooking/~3/vXPydSl0Fbw/falafel.html

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