Oh, Falafel- How i love you so.
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know how obsessed I am with falafel. I love everything about it. The warm, crispy balls tossed in a pita with hummus, tahini and veggies. Falafel literally makes me do a happy dance when I think about it. However, falafel and me have a love/hate relationship. I could eat falafel for every meal from this place in Hoboken called Mamoun’s Falafel. In fact, I use to eat it for dinner about 3x a week alongside their delicious hummus. Their sandwiches are only about $3 and a side of 4 falafels are $2. I can’t get enough!! Well, since I’ve cut out oil now I decided I have to try to recreate their falafel recipe the best I can with none of the fat. After experimenting for quite some time, here is the recipe I have come up with. Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 ½ cans chickpeas- rinsed and drained
½ cup plain panko bread crumbs
5 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 small onion
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
2 teaspoons baking soda
Nonstick pan for “frying”
Preparation:
1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and put them in a food processor with all the other ingredients expect the baking soda. Pulse until you get a rough moist texture. Add a little water if needed.
2. Move the mixture into a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and put aside, covered, for 30-60 minutes in the fridge for the flavors to develop.
3. Take the mixture out of the fridge and add in the baking soda and knead a little.
4. Wet your hands and shape little balls or patties (I like to make patties so they cook evenly on each side and don’t roll in the pan).
5. Heat the nonstick pan add in a few patties at a time to “fry” until golden brown and cooked through. If they start to stick or not brown, add a little bit of water to the pan to get a good sizzle. Serve hot!
Makes about 20 falafel ball or patties.