Falafel
🇪🇬 Egypt
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, stems removed
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 7-8 garlic cloves, peeled
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Oil, for frying
- Tahini sauce, for serving
- Pita pockets, for serving
- English cucumbers, chopped or diced, for serving
- Tomatoes, chopped or diced, for serving
- Baby arugula, for serving
- Pickles, for serving
Steps
- One day in advance, place dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight, about 18 hours, until softened.
- Drain chickpeas completely and pat dry.
- In a food processor, combine chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic, and spices. Process in 40-second intervals until well combined into a falafel mixture.
- Transfer mixture to a container, cover tightly, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Just before frying, stir in baking powder and sesame seeds.
- Scoop tablespoonfuls of the mixture and form into patties about 1/2 inch thick, using wet hands as needed.
- Fill a medium saucepan with oil to a depth of 3 inches and heat over medium-high until softly bubbling.
- Fry patties in batches for 3-5 minutes until crispy and medium brown, avoiding overcrowding the pan.
- Drain fried falafel on a paper towel-lined plate or colander.
- Serve hot as part of a meze spread, or assemble in pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato, and cucumber.
Notes
Total time listed does not include the overnight soaking of the chickpeas.
Source: www.themediterraneandish.com