This tasty treat has been around for a long time in Middle Eastern cooking. Found in Middle Eastern and Greek restaurants, Falafel is crispy and good. It is typically served in pita bread, but you can also lighten up these delicious balls of flavor by putting them in lettuce leaves instead.
If you haven’t tried Falafel, what are you waiting for?
For this recipe you’ll need:
2 cloves garlic, whole or slightly chopped
1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans (also called “chickpeas”), drained
¼ cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp. dried mint
½ cup fresh parsley
1 tsp. cumin
Juice of ½ lemon
1 TB tahini paste (sesame seed paste found in the international section at the grocery store)
3 ½ Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2-3 teaspoons kosher salt
To make this recipe:
In a food processor, pulse together the garlic, garbanzo beans, onion, red pepper flakes, mint, parsley, cumin, and lemon juice. Add the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt, and pulse until pureed.
In a pot made for frying, add oil. Drop the batter by the Tablespoon (doesn’t have to be a perfect circle) into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on the outside. This will take a few minutes. Serve in pita bread (gyro style) or in Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves drizzled with Tzatziki sauce.
You can drizzle the Falafel with this sauce:
Tzatziki Sauce:
Ingredients:
3 Cups Plain Yogurt
1 English (or Hothouse) Cucumber (The kind in the grocery store that comes wrapped in plastic)-In a pinch any cucumber will do.
3 TB fresh-chopped dill
1 Large, minced garlic clove
1 Large tomato
To Make:
For this recipe, you need to strain both the yogurt and the cucumber to release the juices. That’s how you wind up with the thick and creamy dip.
To do this, line a strainer with cheesecloth or a few sturdy paper towels. Pour the three cups of yogurt into the strainer and place over a pan or bowl that is larger than the strainer and that allows room for the juices to fall. Let it sit for three hours or overnight in the fridge.
For the cucumber, peel your cucumber then grate it with a box grater. You can repeat the process that you did with the yogurt or just put the grated cucumber in the center of a few paper towels and wring it out over the sink to allow juices to fall. Then place fresh paper towels in a bowl and allow the cucumber to drain for three hours.
Now the rest is just combining! In a bowl, combine the strained yogurt and strained cucumber with the fresh dill chopped finely, the minced garlic, and the large tomato (quartered, seeded, and thinly diced). Season with a touch of salt if desired and enjoy!