Booko
Deviled Hen
Comments about BIll O'Reilly will be punished with immediate tuna :tuna: so please don't go there!
OK, here it is -- Booko's falafel recipe
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (ok use dried if you HAVE to
)
(2 tablespoons cilantro)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon white pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (optional for vegans)
chickpea flour (1/4-1/3 cup?) (or wheat flour)
1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight or a bit more. You can use canned chickpeas, but dried are best and cheapest too. Too much water makes the falafel explode while cooking.
2. Drain the chickpeas and put them and the onions in the food processor. Chop coarsely. Add the parsley and cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, turmeric. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Add the baking powder and a few tablespoons of the flour, and run the processor on pulse. Add enough flour so that the dough gets stiffer. You know it's ready when it doesn't stick to your fingers. If you want to make this ahead, it can be refrigerated at this point. It's usually better if you do, but you can make them right away too.
4. Heat oil in a fry pan until it's quite hot. 375 degrees is the setting if you have an electric fry pan or a deep fryer.
5. Form the chickpea mixture into small (1-1.5 inch wide but thin patties) -- put the first one in to test the heat of the oil. If the oil isn't hot enough, the falafel will be greasy. If it falls apart, add a bit more flour to the mix. The falafel will puff to twice the size you put it in, so don't make them too thick or they won't cook in the middle.
6. Continue to add falafel and flip them so they fry on the other side also. Drain on paper towels and serve with tahini lemon sauce or cucumber yogurt sauce.
Possible frying methods: a layer of oil in a fry pan, a deep fryer (form into balls if you use this) or a wok. I use light olive oil or canola oil usually.
Tahini-lemon sauce:
1 tablespoon tahini sauce (sesame seed butter found in health food stores and international markets)
juice of half a lemon
dash of white pepper
dash salt
water
OK, it looks really weird when you add the lemon to the tahini because it gets stiffer, but don't panic. Just add water until you get the right texture. If you like your sauce more or less lemony, adjust the amount of tahini and lemon juice to taste. btw, this stuff is *really* great on cooked greens like spinach.
Cucumber-yogurt sauce
Pretty much what it says -- grate some cucumber into yogurt. It's better if it stands for a bit. Add a touch of garlic and a dash of salt and that's all there is to it. This is great for your celery if you have wings too. (nods to Jaquie!) It's also yummy on pita bread and good as a veggie dip.
Anyway, serve your falafel with some sliced onions and olives and a fresh salad, and you have a well-balanced dinner that's tasty and cheap too!
Eibhlin just ate falafel for lunch before she heads off to dance (again). We can't use the baking powder so we use 1/2 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. cream of tartar instead.
OK, here it is -- Booko's falafel recipe
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (ok use dried if you HAVE to
)(2 tablespoons cilantro)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon white pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (optional for vegans)
chickpea flour (1/4-1/3 cup?) (or wheat flour)
1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight or a bit more. You can use canned chickpeas, but dried are best and cheapest too. Too much water makes the falafel explode while cooking.
2. Drain the chickpeas and put them and the onions in the food processor. Chop coarsely. Add the parsley and cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, turmeric. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Add the baking powder and a few tablespoons of the flour, and run the processor on pulse. Add enough flour so that the dough gets stiffer. You know it's ready when it doesn't stick to your fingers. If you want to make this ahead, it can be refrigerated at this point. It's usually better if you do, but you can make them right away too.
4. Heat oil in a fry pan until it's quite hot. 375 degrees is the setting if you have an electric fry pan or a deep fryer.
5. Form the chickpea mixture into small (1-1.5 inch wide but thin patties) -- put the first one in to test the heat of the oil. If the oil isn't hot enough, the falafel will be greasy. If it falls apart, add a bit more flour to the mix. The falafel will puff to twice the size you put it in, so don't make them too thick or they won't cook in the middle.
6. Continue to add falafel and flip them so they fry on the other side also. Drain on paper towels and serve with tahini lemon sauce or cucumber yogurt sauce.
Possible frying methods: a layer of oil in a fry pan, a deep fryer (form into balls if you use this) or a wok. I use light olive oil or canola oil usually.
Tahini-lemon sauce:
1 tablespoon tahini sauce (sesame seed butter found in health food stores and international markets)
juice of half a lemon
dash of white pepper
dash salt
water
OK, it looks really weird when you add the lemon to the tahini because it gets stiffer, but don't panic. Just add water until you get the right texture. If you like your sauce more or less lemony, adjust the amount of tahini and lemon juice to taste. btw, this stuff is *really* great on cooked greens like spinach.
Cucumber-yogurt sauce
Pretty much what it says -- grate some cucumber into yogurt. It's better if it stands for a bit. Add a touch of garlic and a dash of salt and that's all there is to it. This is great for your celery if you have wings too.
(nods to Jaquie!) It's also yummy on pita bread and good as a veggie dip.Anyway, serve your falafel with some sliced onions and olives and a fresh salad, and you have a well-balanced dinner that's tasty and cheap too!
Eibhlin just ate falafel for lunch before she heads off to dance (again). We can't use the baking powder so we use 1/2 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. cream of tartar instead.
