For Sally who fell for falafel (so did I):
The easiest way to make falafel is to buy a package of falafel mix
(Fantastic Food or Casbah) and mix with 1 1/4 cups water and let rest for
15 minutes. Form into patties and place on a griddle over medium heat for 5
to 7 minutes on each side - until slightly brown. However if you don't have
access to a mix here's a recipe from scratch. It's adapted from Vegetarian
Times Complete Cookbook. (This recipe looks long but it's mostly
seasonings)
Falafel Serves 4
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 slices French bread, torn into large pieces and soaked in cold water to
cover
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
4 whole-wheat pita rounds
lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and chopped onions, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375F. Process the garlic, onion and parsley in a food
processor or blender until finely minced. Add the chickpeas and blend until
finely chopped and somewhat pasty. Add the lemon juice, cumin, basil,
coriander, thyme, salt, hot pepper sauce and black pepper. Squeeze the
water out of bread and add the bread. Process until well mixed.
Form the falafel mixture into 16 balls. Flatten each ball to form 1/2-inch
thick patties. Dredge the patties in the flour and place them on a lightly
oiled baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the patties and bake 10
minutes more ------ (or saute until golden brown in skillet over
medium-high heat).
Cut off 1/3 of each pita round and open the larger section to form a
pocket. Fill each pocket with the hot falafel patties. Garnish with
lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, yogurt sauce and hot sauce.
I haven't given the yogurt sauce or the hot sauce - but if anyone wants it
let me know and I'll post it later. (Traditionally, falafel is served with
a tahini sauce but that is very high-fat and not for this list - for a
recipe e-mail me privately).
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