So what is falafel? Falafel is actually a Middle Eastern food. There’s a lot of ways to make falafel, but traditionally, it is a fried patties or round ball shape dough made of pureed chickpeas, onion, garlic, herbs and seasonings. It can be served plain or in wraps, sandwiches, salads, or any number of other dishes. We live closed to the Middle Eastern community, we love their vegetarian food and we had the great privilege of finding out the best falafel in town. We love having it with hummus or garlic tahini sauce, fattoush salad and pita bread.
You will need:
Chickpeas:
Canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
Garlic:
I like adding a little extra garlic to the recipe. Feel free to add more if you love garlic
Onion:
White, red or yellow will work, but traditionally, they always use red onion.
Flour:
I typically use white whole wheat flour, but feel free to use what you prefer.
Baking Powder:
To make the falafel a bit more light and airy.
Fresh herbs:
Lots of fresh cilantro and parsley. The fresh taste is what makes it so special
Oil:
Any mild high-heat oil will work here, such as avocado, grapeseed or vegetable oil.
Seasonings:
Salt to taste, garlic and onion powder and ground cumin.
Lemon juice:
Fresh squeeze lemon juice
FALAFEL
INGREDIENTS
Yields: 12-15 patties
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, tightly-packed
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, tightly-packed
1/2 cup diced red or yellow onion
1/2 cup flour (white whole wheat flour, gluten free flour or chickpea)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine salt (Celtic or Himalayan)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 small garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
6 tablespoons oil (avocado oil, light olive oil, grape seed oil)
For serving: pita bread, chopped lettuce, sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, garlic tahini sauce or hummus
Instructions
Add chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion, flour, baking powder, lemon juice, cumin and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture reaches a coarse crumb texture, scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Transfer mixture in a sealed container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Lay a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface.
Using a scoop, measure out 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball with your hands. Place the ball on the parchment paper, and gently flatten it slightly with your hand about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Heat oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Fry about 4-5 falafel patties to the medium hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until both sides of the disk are browned.
Note: You can skip the frying part and bake them instead for 10-12 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a plate with lined paper towel to drain the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining falafel patties and add extra oil to the pan if needed.
Serve warm while crispy.
Note: Freeze in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
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