This recipe, which is based on one given by Claudia Rodin in her classic 1968 “A Book of Middle Eastern Cooking” is always a popular summer dish at Le Pichet and Cafe Presse. Falafal can be served in many ways but my favorite is with a salad of summer vegetables, sauce blanche and a bit of harissa.
Ingredients
- 1lb dried chickpeas
- 1 red onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 8 cloves garlic (peeled, germ removed)
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley (washed and stemmed)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground corriander
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
Preparation
| 1. | Soak the chickpeas overnight in a lot of water |
| 2. | Peel the onion and chop roughly. Peel the garlic. Stem and chop the parsley. Drain the chickpeas |
| 3. | In the robot-coupe, process in batches the chickpeas, onion, garlic and parsley until a medium fine puree. Note that if the mix is too fine, the finished falafel will be tough and not crispy. If it is not fine enough, the falafal will crumble during cooking. As the batches are done, turn into the bowl of the big mixer. Puree all the parsley in the last batch of chickpeas, so that not all the mix is stained green. |
| 4. | Add the cumin, coriander, baking powder, cayenne and mix with the paddle for about 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste. |
| 5. | Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes. Form in to small balls or patties. Fry in oil heated to 350 degrees F. |