Wednesday, June 3, 2009

falafel

who loves falafel? i do, i do! although this recipe looks really long, the process goes fairly quick once you've soaked your chickpeas (about 8-10 hours). just get all your spices out, plus your measuring spoons and you'll have falafel patties in no time at all. serve with vegan tzatziki or hummus.

  • 1 ¼ cup soaked chickpeas/garbanzos
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper *optional
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
after chickpeas have been soaked (not cooked!), blend up them up in a food processor. add the rest of ingredients and pulse a few times until well-mixed. be cautious with the crushed red pepper - this does add quite a bit a spice. the consistency should be fairly thick - you should be able to roll the falafel patties without any sticking to your hand. if it's too wet, you can add a little whole wheat or chickpea flour in to thicken it up again.

personally, i like to let my falafel sit for a few hours before cooking (to let the flavours meld), but you can also just cook them right away. roll into balls about the size of a golf ball, using a little flour if needed to prevent stickiness. sometimes i will flatten balls into patties if i plan on stuffing them in a pita wrap. spray a standard 8x11 baking dish with non-stick oil, and bake for 30 minutes at 380°f, flipping the patties halfway through.

i eat falafel in pita, on salad, or as you can see, made into lettuce wraps. i think lettuce, tomato and cucumbers go perfectly!

22 comments:

Mihl said...

I definitely love falafel anmd it is so worth all the work!

jessy said...

i love falafel! mmmmmmmmmmmm! totally going to have to try your recipe - and i love the idea on enjoying them in lettuce wraps! yay!

Anonymous said...

This is the second recipe for falafel I've seen using soaked but uncooked beans - I think it's time for me to try it! I just love falafel!

Lauren said...

I love falafel! Thanks for the recipe!!!

veggievixen said...

yummm! falafel is for sure one of my favorite things. i went to israel last year and ate it just about every single day. i am now on a quest to find the best falafel in the US. yours looks pretty darn good. and vegan tzatziki? ok i'm making that right now.

GreenDogWine said...

you know i love falafel!!!!!! :)

VeganCowGirl said...

You had me sold at the title of today's post! I love love love falafel - way more than ice cream, more than pizza more than almost anything!!! Thanks fr the recipe - I will give it a try this weekend!

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

I do I do too!! I <3 falafel. I'm going to have to try making them with uncooked beans too.

Bianca said...

Falafel is the best thing on earth...and probably one of the oldest forms of veggie burger.

iRaw said...

I definitely do...looks great!

aTxVegn said...

I LOVE falafel! And I love to make it. I'll try your recipe on my next falafel night.

Jen Treehugger said...

Yeah Falafel ROCKS!
I'll try this recipe next time I make them (I make them at least once a month - if not more).

Thanks for the recipe.
:)

CorinaCorina said...

I love falafel! I'm gonna have try this recipe, I have only made the premade boxed kind, and I make it at least twice a week!!

Pete said...

Cumin, paprika, turmeric...interesting mix....looks good! Have not tried Falafel. Thks for the recipe!

Anonymous said...

Hi Miss V :)
I'm Natalie and have you ever made a FALAFEL WAFFLE before? It basically cuts the overall cooking time in 3/4 (yes, more than half!). Just mist your waffle iron with a little oil and plop your falafel batter thusly.
Try it out!

Alyssa said...

so this explains what falafel is.. ha ha! looks really good, but i don't have all the ingredients to try it! :(


did you post this in anticipation of the trip this weekend? ha!

allularpunk said...

falaaaaafeeeelllllll! love it. i also love that you put sauerkraut on your pizza. you and your kraut ;)

Vic Robinson said...

Falafel is one of my favs! Yum!

Hannah said...

Oh I just adore falafel! One of my all-time favorite foods to grab when eating out, but also fantastic to make at home (I usually bake mine, too)

East Village Vegan said...

I love falafels! Never tried making it at home, but yours look great. I also like the lettuce substitution for pita. Nice touch.

Anonymous said...

I love falafels and never made them at home! This sounds like a great recipe! Thanks!

AnuSriram said...

I love them too! Looks yummy!