Falafel

Here is a picture of a perfect falafel. Well, falafel balls, with hummus and a pita on the side. But not everyone can make a perfect falafel ball, and today I came as close as I ever have with this: You might not be able to see the similarities, but if you had seen my previous attempts at falafel you would be shocked at how well these turned out. So I thought I would share the secrets with all of you. - Falafel Balls: 1 16oz can chickpeas 1/2 onion, chopped into small pieces 2 cloves of garlic, chopped into small pieces 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon cumin 1 egg 2 Tbsp-1/2 cup flour Salt Pepper Oil for frying (I like to use olive oil) - Mash drained chickpeas (I used a blender) to a thick paste and add garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, and salt and pepper (to taste). Add egg and make sure all is mixed/mashed together. - This next part is the key. I had never used flour before and my falafel balls always fell apart. Add enough flour to make the chickpea substance thick enough to be able to roll a ball (but ball will still be slimy). My recipe called for 2 Tbsp but I used at least a half a cup. Add enough that you can make ball-like shapes. - Next, fry the falafel balls in about 2 inches of oil. Before I always boiled them in oil, but that was also a big disaster. Today I fried them in much less oil and it worked out much better. - These are beautiful pitas. And delicious. - Pita: - 1 package yeast 1/2 cup warm water 3 cups white flour 1 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp granulated sugar 1 cup lukewarm water - Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy. - Combine flour and salt in large bowl, make a small depression in middle, and pour yeast water into it. - Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water and stir until elastic. - Knead for 10-15 minutes, then place in a bowl after coating outside (of dough) with vegetable oil. - Let rise for 3 hours or until doubled in size. - Preheat oven to 500 degrees. - Pinch off small balls and roll into a pita shape (about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick). - Bake each circle (I put 4 on a baking sheet) 4 minutes, then turn over and bake for 2 minutes. - I would NOT suggest using wheat flour. I used wheat flour today and they came out looking like this: Round two was much better: - Hummus: - 1 16 oz can chickpeas 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas 3-5 Tbsp lemon juice 1 1/2 Tbsp tahini (optional--I like it better without) 2 cloves crushed garlic 1/2 tsp salt 2 Tbsp olive oil - Drain chickpeas and set 1/4 cup liquid aside. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and smooth. My blender didn't get it quite as smooth as I would have liked. But it was still good. I personally like it better without the tahini paste, but it is good either way. - Cucumber Dill Sauce: - 1 6oz container plain yogurt 1/2 cucumber-peeled, seeded, and finely chopped 1 tsp dried dill weed salt and pepper to taste 1 Tbsp mayonnaise - Combine all ingredients. This is good to use in your falafel or just as a dip for your pita (or mix in with your tomato cucumber salad). - Cucumber Tomato Salad: - 3 tomatoes, chopped/cubed 1 large cucumber, chopped/cubed 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbsp lemon juice to taste 1/4 cup olive oil (1/2 cup feta cheese--optional) - Mix all ingredients together and put on your falafel. If you want to eat the salad plain, I would suggest adding the crumbled/cubed feta cheese, but not if you put it on your falafel. - If you've never eaten a falafel before, what you do is rip a small section off the top of the pita and then open it. Put in hummus, salad, lettuce (optional), cucumber dip, and falafel balls. And then eat. You can also dip your pitas in the hummus or cucumber dip or any other combination. Although they aren't like what you can buy in the Middle East, they are still pretty good! :)