The Weekly Falafel
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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So, maybe you’ve decided you eat too much meat. I haven’t but I have been told this. A lot of my vegetarian friends keep telling me to be healthier and more eco-friendly by doing something vegetarian. Well, while I don’t particularly like the idea of becoming a vegetarian, it never hurts to think about health. Especially if you can get away with being “healthy” and deep frying your vegetarian friendly food. Get your deep fryers ready for this week’s weekly “burger”,the Falafel Burger.
Falafel Burger,
Makes 3-4 burgers
Ingredients:
Falafel
9-10 ounces chickpeas, soaked overnight with water, or one of the small cans that are in that ballpark for weight
1 medium onion, chopped into small pieces or run through a food processor
2 or more cloves of garlic, crushed and then chopped
1-2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1-2 teaspoons of ground coriander
4 tablespoons parsley, peeled off its stem
½-1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons of plain all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Deep frying oil or fat
Tahini
½ cup tahini (ground sesame seeds)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt, kosher is best but some and taste it side by side with your table salt and you’ll know why
2 tablespoons of olive oil, approx.
2 ounces lemon juice
1 teaspoon of an herb you like, default to parsley if you can’t think of one, or leave it out entirely
Equipment:
A fryer is very useful, but unnecessary, as is a wok if you don’t have a fryer. However, if you have neither, just get a deeper pan, even if you need to get a small pot to fry in, basically any vessel that is about an inch taller than your finished falafel patties will be good enough. A food processor is highly recommended, even a blender if you don’t have the processor, but it is POSSIBLE, to do this without electronic interference. You just won’t be as happy.
Background:
Tahini is, as mentioned before, a paste made out of sesame seeds. Hulled and lightly toasted, it is used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Once you learn its flavor you will undoubtedly add it to your foods on occasion. Learn to love the stuff.
Falafel is traditionally a street food. Fried balls of ground chickpeas and spices stuffed into a pita like bread with hummus and vegetables makes it truly a whole meal on the go. I enjoy throwing it on a bun and with some fries as hopefully you will too after making this.
Procedure:
Start by making your tahini sauce, it is so easy and hopefully you’ll find in it, a new favorite condiment. Simply add your tahini and garlic into the bowl of a food processor, pulse, then add the salt. Once the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients from above. If it’s too thick add warm water in very small amounts until its exactly how you like. You may want to add more salt or garlic.
Preheat your oil to about 350.
Take your chickpeas that have been soaked overnight, add the onions and move it all into your food processor. Pulse it until the beans are losing their shape and then add your spices, garlic, and herbs. Let it combine in the machine and while waiting, add the baking powder with the flour. Once the falafel mixture is close, start adding the powder. It should make it start to clump and not sticky at all. If it isn’t add a little more flour, about a half tablespoon at a time until it is the correct consistency. That being able to shape a patty and it not fall apart just sitting there. Shape your patties!
Let that delicious bean mixture fry for about 5 minutes. If needed, flip it about 3 minutes in. If it falls apart when it goes into the oil, add some more flour. Once it’s out, pat the patty down to rid it of excess oil, put a nice dollop of tahini sauce on your bun, then your falafel patty, then some lettuce and tomato and enjoy! Other things you can add are a lot of various pickled things, turnips, mango, even sauerkraut. Enjoy eating vegetarian for a night!
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