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Falafels


  • Author: Jeanette
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 7 people 1x

Description

Big fan of falafels? Yea, me too. These recipes take falafels to the next level .. err.. country. See how the traditional falafel flavors come together with a touch of Mexico and Thailand with these three variations.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dry garbanzo beans
  • 2 tbsp chickpea flour
  • 1 large onion (chopped into big chunks)
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 3 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (add more if you love garlic)

Instructions

  1. Soak dry garbanzo beans overnight (at least 10 hours) in a large bowl with water. The water should cover the garbanzo beans completely.
  2. The next day, measure out your ingredients above. Add garbanzo beans to a food processor or blender along with the ingredients and pulse until beans are in tiny pieces. Don’t blend too much.
  3. If you plan on making the three flavors (traditional, Mexican, and Thai), split up the mixture evenly into three bowls. See recipe notes for additional spices to add for each one. If you’re only interested in making one of those flavors, then keep the mixture intact and triple the quantities below.
  4. Whether you’re making one flavor or all three, you’ll need to put the mixture(s) in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. This will give the flavors time to infuse a bit more.
  5. It’s frying time! After 2 hours have passed, remove the mixture(s) from the fridge. Form 1-2 inch balls out of the mixture(s). You’ll notice that they’re sticking together loosely. That’s okay. Once you fry them, you’ll notice that they stay together nicely.
  6. Speaking of, heat about 1-2 inches of avocado oil in a frying pan or skillet. Hint: after about 2-3 minutes on medium heat, the oil should be ready. Just make sure it’s not smoking. If it does, then you overheated it and you’ll want to remove it from the burner for a minute or two before starting the cooking process.
  7. Carefully add one ball to test. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Keep an eye on it. You don’t want it to cook quicker – you’ll risk burning the outside without a fluffy inside.
  8. Once you get that test one down, you’re ready to cover the skillet with your little creations. Leave about 1-1.5 inches of space in between each one.
  9. Using small tongs, you’ll be able to flip them easily and carefully (see recipe notes for suggestions).
  10. Enjoy by themselves, with hummus, in a pita, or however you want!

Notes

Recipe above makes about 30 falafel balls.

For traditional falafel third add:

  • 3 sprigs of parsley, minced

For Mexican falafel third add:

  • 2 sprigs of cilantro, minced
  • half of one serrano pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp adobo seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

For Thai falafel third add:

  • 1/8 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 sprigs of cilantro, minced
  • 1/2 chili pepper
  • 1 inch zested lime peel
  • 1 tsp ginger powder

Suggested Sauces + Toppings:

Mexican Falafels 

Thai Falafels

Traditional Falafels

Tomato-Onion-Parsley Salad (pictured above)

  • 1 large tomato, minced
  • 1/2 medium red onion, minced
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • 2-3 parsley sprigs, minced
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine the above in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes for maximum flavor. Add more sea salt if desired.


Suggested kitchen utensils: Stainless Steel 4.5″ Tongs

  • Category: Appetizer, Entree, Side Dish, Snack
  • Cuisine: Mexican, Middle Eastern, Thai