Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 3/4 cup dry chickpeas (yields 2 cups soaked), soaked overnight
  • 1 cup cilantro (stems ok) or sub-Italian parsley
  • ½ cup white or yellow onion, rough chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 a jalapeno, seeds ok ( add the entire thing if you want a little kick)
  • 1 tablespoon Coriander
  • 1 tablespoon Cumin
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (add more to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • high heat oil for frying, or spray oil for baking
  • 2 medium turnips, peeled and thinly sliced.
  • 2- 3 slices of a small red beet, ( optional, for color)
  • ½ thinly sliced onion
  • 2 sliced garlic cloves
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • Additions: peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, dill ( all optional)
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup tahini paste
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • cracked pepper
  • Juice of one medium lemon

Instruction

  • Soak 3/4 cup dry chickpeas in a bowl of cold water on the counter for 10- 12 hours or up to 24 hours hours. They will swell into 2 cups. Place in a strainer, letting them drain WELL, and pat dry with a towel for extra dryness. (Wet chickpeas will be more difficult to fry.)
  • Measure 2 cups of the soaked, uncooked chickpeas and place in a food processor and pulse repeatedly along with the onion, garlic, cilantro, chili, salt spices, baking soda, and olive oil, scraping down sides, until it is well blended but still coarse like sand. Don’t overwork it- this should not be smooth, but rather quite coarse and granular. Place falafel dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400F.
  • Using damp hands, form round, golf ball-sized balls in your hands compressing tightly into balls. Teh compression here will help bind them. If they feel very wet, feel free to lightly dredge in flour if you like. (I usually don’t, even when wet!).
  • In a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet, heat a ¼ inch of “high-heat” oil on med-high heat until it sizzles when a pea-sized portion of falafel is dropped in.
  • Turn heat to medium.  Place them carefully in the hot oil, ( they are fragile but should hold together just fine) do not move or mess with them until a deeply golden crust forms (this crust will ensure they naturally release themselves from the pan). Using a thin metal spatula, carefully turn over. Lower heat if necessary. Sear the other side. Each side will take about 3-4 minutes. Cook in batches, not overcrowding. Place falafels in the oven while you cook the remaining falafels to cook them through.  Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.
  • Falafels can be cooked ahead, frigerated, and reheated in the oven. Alternatively, the falafel “dough” can be made ahead, refrigerated, and used throughout the week.