Falafels

This week: a cornerstone of Mediterranean food--Falafels!

Falafels are crunchy, fried rounds of chickpeas, parsley, garlic, and spices.We don't know exactly where or what time they originated but we do know they are delicious.

Serve with your favorite side dishes like pita bread, tahini, or rice.

Recipe: http://theshiksa.com/2011/01/05/falafel/

Dan made Tatziki and tabbouleh.

Falafels were dope. This whole dish was actually amazing. Tabouli was great. Instead of tomatoes in the Tabouli we actually used peppers, which turned out just as good. The tzatziki was also great. Unfortunately, Harris Teeter is not the greatest, we had to use 2% plain yogurt as opposed to whole, still good. Also, feel free to adjust the lemon zest/lemon juice based on your acidity preference. 

Finally, the falafels. I did not have a blender, so I used a masher. They turned out fine, still got the same pasty consistency with a little more elbow grease. Make sure to add in a little more flour than the recipe calls for and some more salt as mine were a little bland. 

Mo's Version and Comments

Pre-processed.

After getting processed in the food blender. Consistency should be between couscous and a spreadable paste.

Shape into balls or discs of your preferred size.

Served with traditional Egyptian green bean stew (fasolia) and tomato salad with lemon. 

What an easy and delicious dish. Add your chickpeas, herbs, and spices into a bowl. Process and fry. This is also really cheap and can be made in large batches.

Tips for this recipe:
-Canned chickpeas are just fine. Just be sure to drain them well.
-Bake for a lighter version of this dish
-If you're frying don't get the oil too hot. The inside will still be mushy while the outside crisps up too fast. Test-fry one or two to make sure you're at the right temp.
-Add more parsley if you like your falafels more green and earthy in flavor.

Shalom! Mabrouk!