Falafel-sy
Falafel-sy
As I wrote in a previous post, “It is very easy to slip into a predictable succession of meals.... Why not perk up your fare with variety? Sometimes it takes only a little forethought to choreograph tasty and creative meals that will surprise and delight everyone.” We had fallen into such a “predictable succession” and were tired of eating the “same old” food.
It was my turn to make dinner again, and I flipped wearily through the cookbook. It had been a difficult day, and I felt uninspired. I was just beginning to resign myself to another insipid dinner when the word “falafel” caught my eye. What is that? As I glanced over the ingredients and instructions, my interest was sparked. This sounds tasty, I thought. It was. Falafels, or “garbanzo balls,” are relatively simple to make, smell wonderful when you do, and make a delicious Mediterranean dinner.
falalfels
4 cups of dried chickpeas or 4 (16 oz.) cans of chickpeas
4 medium onions, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
4 teaspoons of coriander
4 teaspoons of cumin
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
salt to taste
pepper to taste
oil for frying
Place the dried chickpeas in a pot, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. Omit this step if using canned beans.
Drain the chickpeas, and place in pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes. Then let it simmer on low for about an hour. Drain and allow to cool for fifteen minutes.
Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add flour. Mash chickpeas, ensuring even distribution of all ingredients. Mash by hand or use a food processor. The result should be a thick paste.
Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping-pong ball. Slightly flatten,
Fry the balls in two inches of oil at 350°F or until golden brown (5-7 minutes). Do not crowd. Be vigilant with your first batch so that you can establish an ideal cooking time.
(I didn’t have a thermometer to use and my falafels took 2 minutes to cook with three in the pan at a time.)
Serve hot. If you have a lot of falafels to fry (this recipe made over 36 falafels), you may want to place the finished falafels in an oven preheated to 250°F.
Everyone enjoyed this tasty alternative to a meat dish (except poor Littlest Brother who though they were truly fal-’awful’). What to serve with it? We enjoyed a large lettuce and vegetable salad, broccoli with mushroom, and pita bread with a spicy tahini butter dip. You can also serve them as they traditionally do, with yogurt and salad in a pita bread.
Text: “Falafel-sy.” © Handmaidens of the Shepherd, December 2008. Photographs: Various. © Handmaidens of the Shepherd, December 2008.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008