Man, did I bugger up this recipe the first time I tried it - the garbanzo gops melted in the oil, creating a Titanic-like scene in the the goop, with hundreds of pieces of chickpea floating in a sticky sea. However,the poor little chickpeas that died in that great disaster gave their lives for something greater. After a few more tries, I finally produced a fantastic falafel: perfect crunch cocooning a soft, bread-like center. A bit of cornstarch helps crisp the coating while sealing in the flavors of the garlic, onion, and the garbanzos themselves, and a teenie-tiny bit of baking soda lightens the chickpea mash on the inside.
Ever have a screwed up recipe lead to to an almost perfect one? Such a great feeling when you finally get it right - I'd love to hear your stories below or on my Facebook page!
Ingredients (8ish falafels):
15 oz can of chickpeas
1 large egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbs corn starch
1 tbs of smoked paprika (I used Smoked Chipotle Paprika)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 a large onion
2ish tbs lemon juice
olive oil for frying
Ingredients (Cucumber Sauce):
6 oz Greek yogurt
2 tbs dill, dried
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 large cucumber, minced
1. Stir all the cucumber sauce ingredients in a medium bowl, and chill in the fridge while cooking the falafel
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place in a large, sturdy bowl
3. Mash the chickpeas into a stick mush
4. Stick the onion, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor until all is well minced and mixed. Or in my case, until the onions seem to crystallize into tiny amethysts. 5. Pour the onion mixture into the mashed chickpeas, and mix well
6. Combine all remaining ingredients except the olive oil - keep mixing until the egg has spread throughout
7. Using your hands, roll the mixture into eight, rather firm, golf ball sized spheres. Flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand
8. Heat a skillet with about 1" of olive oil until it's very, very hot. Add the falafels until browned and crunchy on the outside, and soft and breadlike on the inside. Remove and drain on a paper towel
9. Serve the cucumber sauce on the side, because while the sauce is a nice touch, these puppies certainly hold their own!
Questions? Additions? Comment below, or email CutsEveryday@gmail.com.
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