Do you have a favorite falafel recipe?
November 24, 2010 6:13 PM Subscribe
Falafel! I'm searching for the best falafel recipe ever. If you've got one that you love, please share. If you know Pita Hut in New York (I go to the one in Chelsea), they have my dream falafel, perfectly seasoned, perfect crunch outside, perfect tender inside. Thank you!
I just made some last night! Very timely. I've found that they're better without flour (or with only a fraction of what the recipe suggests), and more spice than you'd think. Cumin and coriander are the fundamentals (and a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg- though it may be that I'm imagining it adds anything).
As for texture, the drier the chickpeas are when you mush them, the less likely they are to fall apart in the pan.
posted by twirlypen at 6:58 PM on November 24, 2010
As for texture, the drier the chickpeas are when you mush them, the less likely they are to fall apart in the pan.
posted by twirlypen at 6:58 PM on November 24, 2010
Do you have a deep fryer? Because you really need one to make felafel as awesome as a felafeleria's.
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:40 PM on November 24, 2010
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:40 PM on November 24, 2010
I just made this recently, and it was great!
My Favorite Falafel
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
Tahina sauce
Pita bread
1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.
NOTE: Egyptians omit the cilantro and substitute fava beans for the chickpeas.
Joan Nathan shares her tips with Epicurious: Tahina (also called tahini) is an oily paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is available in Middle Eastern markets and at www.ethnicgrocer.com.
To garnish your falafel in true Israeli style, try adding one or several of the following condiments: harissa hot sauce, pickled turnip (both also available at www.ethnicgrocer.com), mango amba (pickle), or sauerkraut.
The Foods of Israel Today
by Joan Nathan
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:45 PM on November 24, 2010 [5 favorites]
My Favorite Falafel
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
Tahina sauce
Pita bread
1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.
NOTE: Egyptians omit the cilantro and substitute fava beans for the chickpeas.
Joan Nathan shares her tips with Epicurious: Tahina (also called tahini) is an oily paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is available in Middle Eastern markets and at www.ethnicgrocer.com.
To garnish your falafel in true Israeli style, try adding one or several of the following condiments: harissa hot sauce, pickled turnip (both also available at www.ethnicgrocer.com), mango amba (pickle), or sauerkraut.
The Foods of Israel Today
by Joan Nathan
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:45 PM on November 24, 2010 [5 favorites]
This woman has the best I've found: http://www.dedemed.com/index.php/Vegetarian-Recipes/Falafel-Recipe.html#axzz16GLRU55p
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 7:52 PM on November 24, 2010
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 7:52 PM on November 24, 2010
I really like this falafel recipe. I don't have a deep fryer so we just deep fry in a sauce pan, that works great. I agree with not adding (much) flour. Great falafel bars I go to use raw soaked chickpeas, not cooked or canned.
posted by blub at 3:09 AM on November 25, 2010
posted by blub at 3:09 AM on November 25, 2010
I have never cooked falafel, but I recently had a conversation with a friend who said that she'd been trying to make the perfect falafel for years, and finally she got it right. The secret is baking soda, apparently.
posted by Emilyisnow at 3:28 AM on November 25, 2010
posted by Emilyisnow at 3:28 AM on November 25, 2010
I really really like this old Gourmet recipe. I pan fry them in deepish-oil rather than deep fry, which I find just as tasty without the mess and hassle (I also don't bother with taking the temperature of the oil, as they direct in the recipe - just let the oil get hot, and drop in a little ball of falafel to test the oil once it looks like its getting to frying temperature)
posted by iona at 4:14 AM on November 25, 2010
posted by iona at 4:14 AM on November 25, 2010
There's a shop near me that uses massive quantities of chopped parsley and cilantro in their felafel balls (enough to turn them green inside), and it makes them so much better.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:00 PM on November 25, 2010
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:00 PM on November 25, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks so much! I'll try them all over the next few weeks and let you all know the outcome!
posted by bluesky43 at 3:35 PM on November 27, 2010
posted by bluesky43 at 3:35 PM on November 27, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by holterbarbour at 6:28 PM on November 24, 2010