Night Market Mediterranean Falafel
If you visited our Night Market in August we were serving mediterranean falafels with a side of lemon rice, baba ghanoush, and pita.
Falafel Recipe Recipe (fried or baked)
PREP TIME: 45 mins COOK TIME: 10 mins. TOTAL TIME: 55 mins
SERVINGS: 18 falafel balls
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (don’t use canned chickpeas)
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chickpea flour or oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp lemon juice
avocado oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
- The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in water. Make sure the water covers the chickpeas by 2-3 inches, as they’ll triple in size.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to a pot of boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes to ensure the chickpeas are soft all the way through. Drain and let cool. Once cooled add them to your food processor, along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- Pulse the food processor several times until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse sand.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl and add the chickpea flour and baking soda. Stir together, then cover or add a lid and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to one hour.
- Use your hands, an ice cream scoop or falafel scoop to form the falafel into balls or patties. If you find the mixture is too wet, you can add another tablespoon of chickpea flour. If it’s too dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice.
- Once the falafels are formed, you can cook them by your preferred method mentioned below. To deep fry the falafel, add about 3 inches of oil to a pot on medium heat. Heat the oil to 350F. Cook the falafel in batches (about 6-8 at a time) for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Use a skimmer to check the colour of the falafel and make sure they don’t overcook. Then, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate.
- For baking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place falafels few inches apart. Place falafels in a 350F degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve the falafels immediately, while warm and crispy on the outside.
Recipe provided by The Nourish and Develop Foundation’s – Community Kitchen Chef Jo
