Falafel balls are very popular in the Middle East, as well as in my house. In Egypt, they actually sale a sandwich called the McFalafel at McDonalds. These balls can be served in pita pockets, on salads or as a main dish. I've pretty much been hooked on falafel balls ever since my boyfriend and I ate at the Maoz Vegetarian in DC. This was my third time making falafel balls and I fell in love with this variation.
Every other time I would make these I kept feeling like something was missing or the consistency wasn't coming out correctly...which I discovered mashing the chickpeas with a fork instead of using a processor makes it a lot thicker, so be prepared to use just a *little* arm muscle.
We had just bought these raw brazilian nuts from Wegmans and I thought to myself (just maybe chopping them up in small pieces would give them a nice cripsy texture on the outside) which they did!
The balls turned out a medium golden color and the seasoning was perfect. We decided to top them off with a creamy avocado instead of the usual tahini (see pic at top). Delicious meal! My boyfriend says that these falafel balls definitely made his list of favorites.
To make the falafel balls:
1 - 16oz can of chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon himalayan sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons spelt flour
To make the nut/flour mix:
4 tablespoons of spelt flour
4 brazilian nuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
What to do:
Make the nut/flour mixture and set aside. Combine all ingredients to make a falafel ball and press chickpeas with a fork until the consistency of the mixture is a thick smooth paste. Roll the mixture into quarter sized falafel balls & roll in the nut/flour mixture. Fry in 2 inches of coconut oil at 350 degrees (or med-high) in a small pan. This only takes about 3 - 5 minutes on both sides. When you have reached a nice golden color the falafel balls are done.
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