Falafel 1 (Fava and Chickpea)

 

You can eat the Falafels any way you want, the traditional way is to pack some in a nice sandwich: 4 falafel balls in an opened pita, add tomatoes, sprinkle chopped parsley, add pickles and finally add a little tahini, humus or Tzatziki sauce and roll it like you would a Burrito.  If desired sprinkle hot sauce such as Tabasco or “shatta” hot sauce. I like it with a little tabouleh.

• 2  12-14 oz. cans fava beans, (drained and rinsed)
• 3/4 lbs of dried chickpeas
• 1 bunch of Italian parsley
• 1 bunches cilantro
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 large red or yellow onion
• 1 bunch  green onions
• 2 table spoons  salt
• A dash  black pepper
• 1/4  rice flour
• 1 teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon  chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon  cumin
• 3 teaspoons  Coriander

Soak chickpeas overnight.
   

The following day drain the fava beans and rinse the fava, blend them in the food processor until they reach a consistency similar to thin bread crumbs and empty them in a large container or bowl. Similarly rinse the chickpeas and blend them in the food processor until they reach the same consistency of the fava beans and pour them in that same container. Now crush the garlic and grind it in the food processor with the red onions, green onions, parsley, cilantro, coriander, salt, pepper flakes and flour until they are the same consistency of the beans. Add them to the container with the fava beans and Chickpeas and kneed until they reach a doughy texture. If they feel dry add a bit of water and kneed a bit more.  At this point taste the Falafel mix to make sure it has a balanced flavour.

-sprinkle the baking soda to the mix, knead and let them rest.

-Heat 3/4 to 1 inch deep canola oil in the frying pan on medium heat,

- scoop the falafels into 1.5 inch balls or quenelles,

-Lower balls in batches into hot oil

-Let cook a few minutes until lightly brown. 

-Remove them and let them rest on a paper towel to absorb the excess of oil. 

 

For better results, serve at once in order to preserve freshness and crunchiness. If you need to cook in advance and you can reheated in a 400° oven for 5 min.

Serve with

- Salty Lebanese Pickles (cucumbers, turnips, pickled chilli peppers)
- Tomatoes
- chopped fresh Italian parsley

-Tzatziki sauce

-humus

-tahini

-tabouleh
- Pita bread