- 1 can of chickpeas
- 1 small onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbl cilantro & parsley
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- half a chili pepper or 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- lemon juice from half a lemon
- 1/4 cup chick pea flour
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- oil for cooking
i love falafel, it’s the one thing i miss about living in the city. when i was in israel i ate it every day. when i lived in brooklyn, at least once a week. it’s one of my all time favorites. i love it on a salad, in a pita, with tahini and onions, israeli pickles, throw some hot sauce on there and i’m in heaven.
i am in the “country” now, it’s not easy to find good falafel. it’s like thai food, it’s basically come down to me trying to figure out a good recipe and cooking it whenever i’m in the mood. when i was in my early 20′s i remember making falafel out of a box but making the tahini. i was just becoming adventurous in the kitchen. tahini was a huge step for me at that point.
so after going through a number of recipes i have finally come up with my own, it’s a mixture of a number of them, they either had to much parsley or to much cumin or they fell apart. i never stopped though, i knew one day i would find the perfect recipe for me.
(to make tahini, you need sesame tahini and equal parts water or yogurt, garlic, parsley and cilantro. process until all emulsified, refrigerate)
falafel
- rinse chick peas in water and let dry out for about an hour in a strainer.
- in a food processor add; chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, baking powder, cumin, pepper or flakes, lemon juice, and chick pea flour. process until the ingredients are incorporated. the texture should be grainy.
- refrigerate for about 45 minutes to an hour to firm up mixture.
- remove the mixture from the fridge and carefully roll out into balls or patties, whatever you prefer. i tend to roll somewhere in between. set aside on a cookie sheet. refrigerate again for another 15 minutes to firm up again.
- while the falafel is chilling heat oil in a large frying pan. The oil should be about an inch deep.
- gently put the falafel into the hot oil and fry for about 3-5 minutes – they will get nice and golden brown. remove and place on a paper towel (sort of like french fries).
depending on my mood, i either serve them in a pita with lettuce and tomatoes, some tahini and hot sauce, pickles if available. tonight we are having them over salad with homemade tahini and naan on the side.
