Falafels

I make my own falafels.  Ever since I made my first homemade batch, I can't go back to the boxed stuff.  It's so easy and tastes way better.  Not to say there aren't boxed versions that aren't good.  In some though, sometimes the flavors are too strong.  And there's always too much salt.  And I've had some where you can taste the baking soda.  But when you make it fresh, you get to flavor them the way you want, they fry up beautifully and are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and you learn there's no reason for that baking soda.

First things first.  You need a food processor.  If you don't have one, it's harder to do.  Because blenders aren't built to do it and grinding by hand. . . grandma may have had the time and energy to do that, but I'm a modern gal.  Not too modern though.  Here's my food processor.  It's over 20 years old and still ticking.  If you don't have one, get one.  And find yourself a good hearty food processor that'll last you as long as mine has.

Next, you'll need beans.  Dry ones, and more specifically, garbanzo beans.  Of course, you can also use dried fava beans, which I did try once.  And they were tasty, but I like the garbanzo beans better.  Chalk it up to flavor familiarity.  Which ever bean you choose the first step is the same.  Add your dried beans to a container filled with four times more water than beans and let them soak overnight.  Don't cook them.  Just soak them.  Once they've rehydrated, drain them when you are ready to use them.  Just for kicks, I'm showing you what they both look like.

  

Garbanzo beans are the more familiar one.  Also known as chick peas, most people, I think, know them as a condiment in a salad bar.  They're also the main ingredient, after being boiled and cooked, in hummus.  We usually make some alongside the falafels as one of the condiments.



Soaked Fava, skin on



Favas beans are less familiar to the general public, I think.  I know I didn't know what they were until I started working professionally at finer restaurants where we got them fresh and served them with proteins such as lamb.  And until someone mentioned them to me as a possible alternative bean for falafels, I never thought too much more about them.



Fava beans, peeled



The dried ones, when soaked look like strange alien pods.  They have a skin on them that must be removed after they have softened from soaking.  Much friendlier looking once they've been peeled.  The skin can be discarded.  They don't get used in the falafel mix.



  

So, you've got all your beans all rehydrated.  And when you're ready to use them, you've strained from the water.  Next!

Onions and garlic.  If your using a one pound package of dried beans, one medium onion will be enough.  A few cloves of garlic.  Peel the onions and the garlic.  Cut the onions into chunks.  Toss it into the food processor with the garlic and grind it all up until finely chopped.

  
Once that's done, add everything else.  Your drained soaked beans, flour, and your herbs and spices.  I use coriander, cumin, a little dried red pepper, parsley (fresh or dried), salt and pepper.  That's it. 

All that gets tossed into the food processor and blended together until it becomes a moist, grainy dough.  It almost looks like it won't stick together, and when you shape it, you'll have little grains of bean meal stick to your fingers.  But the dough will form into the shape you want and stick together quite well.

Take up enough in your hand to make about a two inch piece, round or flattened, the choice is yours.  I usually flatten them a little so they fit better into things like pita for sandwiches.

Next, heat up your frying oil and when hot enough, carefully slip your falafel patties into the oil and cook them until they're a deep, golden brown.  They like to float to the top when they're done.

And here's what's on the plate of our typical falafel dinner.  Pita, made locally at Sanabel's Bakery.  An israeli salad made of chopped cucumber, tomato and onion, drizzled with olive oil and lemon.  Hummus, homemade, also very easy to make thanks to the food processor and something I have a hard time buying prepackaged from the store because of how simple it is.  And a sauce with a little chopped garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and sometimes dill mixed into yogurt.

Good stuff, vegetarian and healthy, well-balanced eating.  You won't miss the meat.  Falafels are hardy.  And it's fried!  You can't go wrong!