Falafel
If you have never had Falafel, you don’t know what you are missing. They are little balls of heaven. You all know that I am far from being a vegetarian, but if I ever decide to go down that path, I am taking these little jewels with me. Besides being deep fried, these are very healthy. And yes, you can bake them if you want to go that route. Just spray a baking pan with cooking spray or lightly oil the pan then wipe with a paper towel. Place the Falafel on the pan and then bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. I would say about 15-20 minutes or so. They will not have the same texture but they should still be loaded with flavor. I used a mixture of fava beans and chickpeas which is how they are normally prepared in Egypt. You could definitely make them with only chickpeas if you have a hard time finding fava beans. There are some box mixes out there on the market but I would not recommend them. Sometimes when you want good food you have to do a little work. These are so worth the little extra effort of soaking and peeling the fava beans and chickpeas. As always, you can tweak the recipe to your taste. For example you love garlic or hate garlic, just add more or less whichever the case may be. We made sandwiches with ours but you could definitely just eat them as an appetizer. I made a Tahini Sauce as well as a Garlic Yogurt Sauce. They were both great and can be made as a sauce, dip or dressing for salad. Try my recipe and let me know what you think. Afiyet olsun!
- ½ Cup Dried Fava Beans, soaked overnight and peeled
- ¼ Cup Chickpeas, soaked overnight and peeled
- ¼ Cup Fine Bulgur, soaked in hot water for 45 minutes then drain well
- ¼ Cup Parsley
- ¼ Cup Cilantro
- 2 Onions
- 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Marash Pepper (or crushed red pepper)
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ Cup Rice Flour
- Vegetable oil for frying
- For Serving:
- Hummus, Tahini Sauce or Garlic Yogurt Sauce (you can get the recipes by using the search bar)
- Optional:
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Purple Onion
- Spring Onion
- Pickled Veggies
- Not traditional but I also served good Turkish white cheese (Feta) with mine.
- Place your fava beans and chickpeas in separate containers and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight.
- When you are ready to make your falafel, place the bulgur in the hot water to soften.
- Chop the onions and garlic in the food processor and then place in a sieve to drain.
- Peel the skins off the fava beans and chickpeas.
- Place the fava beans, chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, salt, cumin, black pepper, marash pepper, baking soda, baking powder, the strained bulgur, onions and garlic mixture, and rice flour in the food processor.
- Process until there are no big pieces of the fava beans or chickpeas left.
- Place this mixture in a colander or sieve and sit it inside a larger bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for about an hour.
- During this time, prepare the Tahini Sauce and Garlic Yogurt. Also prepare your pita bread, lettuce, tomato, onion and any other garnishes you like.
- Remove the falafel mixture from the fridge.
- Fill your frying pan no more than half full. I use a cast iron skillet which works great.
- As always, never leave hot oil unattended.
- Once your oil has heated to about 350 degrees, fry the falafel until golden brown about 3-4 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels. Then serve hot in pita bread with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickled veggies, tahini sauce or garlic yogurt sauce. Afiyet olsun!
