Falafel

Falafel has become a common street food in the Middle East, and rightly so. This falafel recipe is gluten free, crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of flavor from the cilantro, mint, coriander and nutty sesame seeds. —Nithya Narasimhan, Chennai, Alabama

Total Time

Prep Time: 10 min. + chilling Cook Time: 15 min.

Makes

16 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, optional
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Oil for deep-fat frying

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Directions

1. In a large bowl, cover chickpeas with water. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Cover and let stand overnight. Drain chickpeas; rinse and pat dry.
2. In a food processor, pulse cilantro and mint until finely chopped. Add chickpeas, garlic, salt, pepper if desired, coriander and chili powder. Pulse until blended and texture of coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
3. Stir in sesame seeds and baking powder. Shape into sixteen 2-in. balls. In an electric skillet or a deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry chickpea balls, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels.

Falafel Tips

How do you make the falafel mixture easy to shape?

Chilling the falafel mixture for an hour in the fridge makes it easier to shape, so make sure you don't skip that step!

What are some variations of this falafel recipe?

Replace the mint with parsley for a new touch or try pan-frying, baking or air frying your falafel. Or try something completely different, like falafel burgers, waffles or pumpkin falafel.

How do you serve falafel?

Serve your falafel in or alongside pita bread with red onion, tomato, pickled cucumber and tahini sauce.

—Christina Herbst, Taste of Home Assistant Digital Editor

Nutrition Facts

4 pieces: 224 calories, 13g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 760mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 16g fiber), 9g protein.

source https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/falafel-2/

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