Falafel: Take Two

Testing a more authentic falafel recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried chickpeas

1/2 cup dried peeled split fava beans (fūl)

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley and mint

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Put the chickpeas and fava beans in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain, rinse, and carefully dry chickpeas in a salad spinner.

2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas & fava beans,  and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the salt, hot pepper, garlic, parsley, mint, coriander, and cumin. 

3. Pulse until chickpeas & fava beans are very finely minced (coarse meal or fine sand texture, rather than a smooth paste), stopping the food processor to scrape down the sides as necessary. A handful of the mixture squeezed into a ball should be able to barely hold together. If not, process a little more.Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

4. When you are ready to fry the falafel, heat the deep fryer to 365. Then stir in 1/2 tsp of baking soda and let the mixture rest 15 minutes before shaping & frying. Then, very gently form the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.

5. Fry 4- 6 balls at once for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on baking rack. Keep warm in 200 degree oven.