Falafel

Falafel is traditionally fried in a deep pool of olive oil, but it’s possible to bake them instead with less oil if you’d prefer. I like to actually start mine out by frying, just to get a crisp coat on both sides. Then I transfer them to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time. These make a warm and hearty sandwich meal in about 30 minutes!

Falafel

1 large can of chickpeas (approximately 19 oz), drained and rinsed
1 large clove of garlic

1 egg
2 T tahini
1 T flour
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t tumeric
Dash of red pepper
Salt

Olive oil

Pita bread and greens

Puree the chickpeas and garlic in a food processor. Dump the mix into a large bowl and add the other ingredients through the salt, mixing by hand. The dough is sticky: resist the temptation to add more flour. Instead, oil your hands or put the dough in the refrigerator for a bit. Form 1-1/2 inch balls.

Heat a couple of T of olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Brown the falafel just a bit on both sides, flattening somewhat. Put in the oven at 375 for 10 minutes. Flip them over after 5 minutes. makes about 12 patties.

Serve with pita bread, more tahini to drizzle over, and herb salad to stuff the pockets.

Image: Wikimedia Commons