Falafel and Cucumber Sauce

I got this recipe from a particular website (though I really don't remember which one).  I saved it so that I can make it in my own home which I did and I loved it.  No copyright infringement intended.  I really don't know where I got it from but it's great.

Cucumber Sauce 

 

1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt  

1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Blend together and refrigerate for an hour.

 

 

 

Falafel

1 pound (about 2 cups) dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3-5 cloves garlic (roasted is good)

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Pinch of ground cardamom

Vegetable oil for frying (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil work well)

1.  Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. Omit this step if using canned beans.

2.  Drain chickpeas and rinse

3.  Place in a food processor with remaining ingredients and process.
 
4.  Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together, and a more paste-like consistency will help with that... but don't overprocess, you don't want it turning into hummus!.

5.  Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.

6. Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches. I prefer to use cooking oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat.

7.  Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop. I usually use about 2 tbsp of mixture per falafel. You can make them smaller or larger depending on your personal preference. The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry. Note: if the balls won't hold together, place the mixture back in the processor again and continue processing to make it more paste-like. Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they will bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix. This should fix any issues you are having..

 8.  If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center.

9.  Cool the oil down slightly and try again. When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides. Let them drain on paper towels.

10.   Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce. You can also stuff them into a pita. 

Troubleshooting: If your falafel is too hard/too crunchy on the outside, there are two possible reasons-- 1) you didn't process the mixture enough-- return the chickpea mixture to the processor to make it more paste-like. 2) the chickpeas you used were old. Try buying a fresher batch of dried chickpeas next time.

 HERB FALAFEL VARIATION (GREEN FALAFEL): Add ½ cup additional chopped green parsley, or cilantro, or a mixture of the two prior to blending. TURMERIC FALAFEL (YELLOW FALAFEL): Add ¾ tsp turmeric to the food processor prior to blending.


  Serve hot.