Falafel

Shahreen · November 3, 2003, 4:12pm

Anyone got a good tried and tested recipe for falafel? If so, then please share.

cat-woman · November 3, 2003, 4:30pm

^ no sorry, but theyre really yummy and a good vegetarian dish.

roshnie · November 3, 2003, 5:23pm

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by cat-woman: *
^ no sorry, but theyre really yummy and a good vegetarian dish.
[/QUOTE]

Is it vegetarian? I thought falaful or shawrma (spelling?) had meat in it.

Decent_6Chora · November 3, 2003, 7:17pm

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by roshnie: *

Is it vegetarian? I thought falaful or shawrma (spelling?) had meat in it.
[/QUOTE]

Shawarma does but falafill dont. Falafil basically have "daal" and "sabzi" in it. What i do is buy a "Falafili Mix" from any middle-eastern grocery shop and then make falafill at home. You can either deep fry (as in shops) or bake it.

Shahreen · November 4, 2003, 12:05pm

I didn't think falafel had either daal or sabzi in them.....they are made from primarily chickpeas. Unless there are variations on the recipe.

Anyway I will try a google recipe tonight and see how it goes.

roshnie · November 4, 2003, 1:42pm

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by shahreen: *
I didn't think falafel had either daal or sabzi in them.....they are made from primarily chickpeas. Unless there are variations on the recipe.

Anyway I will try a google recipe tonight and see how it goes.
[/QUOTE]

Shahreen: plzzz share the recipe here. I will try it too.

Decent6Chora: thx for the correction.

nandulala · November 4, 2003, 1:45pm

never heard of em. please post picture of it :)

Shahreen · November 4, 2003, 2:30pm

Here's what they look like......

[thumb=D]falafel.JPG[/thumb]

And this is the recipe I am going to use tonight.......
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chick peas, cooked & drained

1 onion, chopped

Handful of parsley, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, crushed

1 tb chick pea stock
1/2 tspn baking soda

Coriander, chopped
1 tspn cumin

Salt & pepper to taste
1 tspn harrisa (optional)
1 tb All-purpose flour, plus additional flour for coating patties

Oil for frying

Place cooked chick peas in a blender. Add onion, parsley, garlic, stock, soda, spices, salt & pepper. Process until smooth. Place in a glass bowl & refrigerate until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

Shape into 12 patties. Dust lightly with flour & fry in hot oil, turning frequently until browned & crisp. Drain on paper towels. Put a pattie in a pitta pocket, top with salad & a little extra harissa if desired.

_MuNiYa · November 4, 2003, 2:32pm

Why go through all that? Buy the mix. It taste just like rest.

Decent_6Chora · November 4, 2003, 4:09pm

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ~MuNiYa~: *
Why go through all that? Buy the mix. It taste just like rest.
[/QUOTE]

Why go though all that? Why not buy falafel sandwich from restaurant :)

nandulala · November 4, 2003, 4:44pm

mmmmmmmmmmmm looks scrumptious

Shahreen · November 4, 2003, 8:08pm

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ~MuNiYa~: *
Why go through all that? Buy the mix. It taste just like rest.
[/QUOTE]

I don't like all the preservatives they add to packet mixes.

cat-woman · November 5, 2003, 2:49am

I thought falafel was made out of couscous, I'm a bit confused.Where did you find the recipe Shahreen? It sounds good though, let us know how they turned out!

Shahreen · November 5, 2003, 9:05am

I found the previous recipe just by searching on google. However in the end I used the recipe below as it's one that was recommended to me.

Foolproof Falafel with Yoghurt Drizzle

Ingredients

225g/8oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ lemon, juice only
vegetable oil, for frying
pitta bread and natural yoghurt, to serve

Method

Drain the chickpeas and place in a food processor with the salt, baking powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Whizz until very finely chopped but not puréed. (If you have time, set the mixture aside for a couple of hours, so the flavours can mingle, but it's not imperative).
Heat 5cm/2in of oil in a deep frying pan or wok.
Using a wet hand shape the mixture into 16 balls, then flatten slightly into patties. Deep-fry in batches for about 4 minutes, turning occasionally until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve 3 or 4 falafels inside a warm pitta bread pocket, with a drizzle of yoghurt over.

I used tinned chickpeas instead and the results were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend it.

cat-woman · November 5, 2003, 9:31am

wow im definitely going to try it!! sounds healthy and divine

thanks for the recipe shahreen!!

ravage · November 6, 2003, 9:25am

i dont have a stupid food processor

Shahreen · November 6, 2003, 11:36am

Well you could try mashing it all up by hand, using a potato masher or a pastle and mortar. If they chickpeas are cooked for long enough beforehand then they should be easy to to.

Actually when I made mine I think I processed the mix for a bit too long, I think it would be nicer with a bit of texture so next time I'll blitz it for less time.

cat-woman · November 6, 2003, 11:55am

me neither

thanks for the tip shahreen!

Ira · November 26, 2003, 11:01pm

SHahreen I tried your second recipe exactly as you mentioned but it failed :( They were pretty firm when i shaped them but when i put them n the frying pan, they started breaking apart slowly. I was soooo craving falafel too :(

Shahreen · November 27, 2003, 2:53pm

Ira, that happened to me the first couple of times I made them too. I still ate them though.
Not sure why it happens, maybe it has something to do with the siftness of teh chickpeas, or how much water you drain from them? Because all the other ingredients were the same even when they turned out right.