falafel
Falafel, a popular vegetarian/vegan dish originating from the Middle East, is packed with fresh herbs and spices. It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and can be served on a plate or in a pita wrap with veggies, pickles, and tahini sauce.
Falafel is usually deep-fried, but it can be baked or air-fried for healthier options.
Additionally, it can be served as a salad instead of in a wrap.
Ingredients
- **Falafel Mix:**
- – 2 cups dry chickpeas
- – 1 medium onion
- – 6 garlic cloves
- – 1 medium potato
- – 1 medium red sweet pepper
- – 1 cup of parsley
- -1 cup of cilantro
- – 1 tbsp salt
- – 1/2 tsp black pepper
- – 1 tbsp falafel spice or 1 tsp 7 spice, 1 tsp cumin and 1 tbsp coriander
- – 3 tbsp cornstarch
- – 1/2 tsp baking soda
- – 1 tbsp baking powder
- _oil for deep frying
- **Tahini Sauce:**
- – 1/2 cup tahini + 2 tbsp
- – 1/2 cup lemon juice
- – 1/2 cup cold water
- – 1 minced garlic clove
- – Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley optional
- For serving:
- – Tomato Lettuce, Pickles, pickled turnips, Onion,Parsley
- _pita bread
- -fries
Instructions
- Soak dried chickpeas overnight or for at least 8 hours, ensuring they are covered with water.
- Drain any excess water from the chickpeas and set aside.
- Cut onion, garlic, potato, and sweet red pepper into small pieces.
- Wash parsley and cilantro, and dry them.
- In a food processor, add some chickpeas and veggies; mix until soft and combined.
- Open the food processor, mix, then close until you reach the desired texture.
- Repeat until all the quantity is processed.
- Put the falafel mix back in the food processor, then add corn starch and all the spices listed above. Mix for a few seconds until everything is combined.”
- Start making tahini sauce by mixing all the ingredients listed above for the sauce; mix well in a jar by shaking, then place in the fridge.
- Cut veggies that you like to serve with falafel.
- Shape falafel into balls or patties, then deep fry.
- Preheat oil first, then lower the heat to medium while deep frying.
- Serve with veggies and tahini sauce in a pita bread.
- Eat fresh while stick hot and crispy
Notes
Make sure to deep fry the falafel patties at medium-low heat so they fully cook from the inside. If you cook them on high heat, they will cook quickly on the outside but remain raw on the inside.
The cooked falafel can be placed in the freezer after cooking. Let it cool down completely, then place it in a ziplock bag and freeze it. When you need some, take out as many as you want, then air fry or bake them in the oven until they are warm and crispy.