Falafel Recipe

For those of you who are not aware of what a falafel is, let me tell you that it is a middle eastern fried snack made from white chickpeas, herbs and spices. It is very similar to the lentil vadas and pakodas, which are very common in India and the herbs and spices used in this recipe are not at all alien to us. The flavor and taste of this recipe is very familiar to our taste buds and thus there is no way that you are not going to like it. You can serve these as an appetizer, snack or even a side dish. The recipe is very easy to follow and the outcome is to die for.

So without wasting anytime further let’s get started with the recipe.

Ingredients:

• White chickpeas/kabuli chana- 200 gm
• Onion- 1 small (chopped)
• Garlic- 1 tbsp. (chopped)
• Fresh coriander leaves- 3 tbsp. (chopped)
• Red chili powder- ½ tsp.
• Coriander/dhaniya powder- 1 tsp.
• Cumin/jeera powder- 1 tsp.
• Black pepper- ¼ tsp. (powder/crushed)
• All-purpose flour/maida- 1 tbsp.
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Procedure:

1.  Rinse the chickpeas really well and then soak in water overnight (8 to 9) hours. Next morning, strain the water, rinse them again and keep on the side.
2.  Add the chickpeas to a food processor or grinder, along with the onion, garlic, coriander leaves, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper and all-purpose flour.
3.  You can also add some salt and lemon juice to it.
4.  Grind the mixture into a semi coarse consistency. The paste should neither be too smooth or too coarse. Also avoid adding any water to the mixture. But if you have to, add only a few tbsp.
5.  Take out the falafel mixture in a bowl and taste it a little to check the seasoning and spices. Mix the mixture really well with your hands or a spoon and your mixture is ready.
6.  Heat oil in a kadhai for deep frying and test the falafel mixture for the consistency. Make a small ball of the mixture and fry it. If the ball doesn’t fall apart your mixture is fine, otherwise, add some all-purpose flour to the mixture.
7.  The temperature of the oil also plays a crucial role in getting your falafel right. If the oil is not hot enough the falafel will fall apart and if the oil is too hot the falafel will get cooked from the outside and uncooked from the inside. So make sure the temperature of the oil is just right.
8.  Now start making small lemon sized balls and place them in the oil. Do not overcrowd the kadhai and do not disturb the falafel too soon.
9.  Once the falafels are light golden from one side gently turn them to the other side and cook them till golden and crisp.
10.  Take out the falafel on a kitchen towel and let the excess oil drain.
11.  Make all the falafel similarly.
12.  Serve the falafel hot with your favorite dip.

Image Source: nyt