Thing Thirty-Five: Falafel
May. 31st, 2013 10:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badseed1980My grandmother probably never ate a falafel. For most of her life, I doubt there was anywhere within hundreds of miles where she could buy one ready-made from a restaurant or store. It probably would have been unusual and exotic to her, an Illinois native with English, German, and Irish heritage. Her husband, my grandfather, probably wouldn't have found them so strange--growing up in an Armenian family, he must have had some fairly similar foods ever since his childhood, though falafels are more common in Egypt and Lebanon than they are in Turkey, where his family was from.
Now, though, I can think of a number of restaurants within easy reach where I can order a falafel sandwich or platter, including a few food trucks. I can even go to the local Stop and Shop, and grab some pre-made falafel patties from the prepared foods section. And, of course, I can get all the stuff I need to make them at home.
There are a lot of falafel recipes out there, and they usually start in one of three ways: with dried chickpeas, which are soaked and cooked; with canned chickpeas, which are rinsed and drained; and with chickpea flour, to which liquid is added. I've used the latter two methods, and both are good. I'm fond of the chickpea flour method because there's no extra salt added to the chickpea flour, and a bag of chickpea flour that makes five dozen falafels is about the same size as a can of chickpeas that makes only about one dozen. Oh, and if you get that flour in bulk, it's also very inexpensive.
I have been using the recipe on the back of the Bob's Red Mill chickpea flour bag to make my falafels, pretty much. I double the amount of spices (cumin, coriander, onion powder, and garlic powder), but use the same amount of salt. I also replace the parsley flakes (feh--pointless and flavorless) with fresh chopped parsley. Another nice thing about the chickpea flour is that I can mix up all the dry stuff, chop the parsley and put it in the fridge, and let it sit for however long I like before actually making the falafels.
When I'm ready to make them, I mix everything with lemon juice and hot water, and let it sit for ten minutes. Instead of frying my falafels, I bake them in the oven. I spray a cookie sheet, and drop the falafel mix onto it in twelve little lumps. I try to shape them a bit to make them more even and neat, when I think of it. Then I spray their tops with olive oil, and bake them until they start to get golden brown. Flip, and bake another few minutes, and they're ready.
These guys are yummy as-is, but I like to make them into pita sandwiches. I whip up a sauce with plain Greek yogurt, tahini, and lemon juice, and put that on the pita, then add some thinly sliced cucumber, onion, and tomato. Then come the falafels. Then, I eat!
I like a nice green salad to accompany the falafels, preferably with plenty of cucumber and tomato. I tend to dress it with olive oil and lemon juice, and some spearmint (dried during the winter, or minced fresh now that I have some growing in the garden). I added a little feta to the salad last night for some extra zing. All in all, while the oven did heat up the kitchen, the meal itself was perfect for a hot night.
Now, though, I can think of a number of restaurants within easy reach where I can order a falafel sandwich or platter, including a few food trucks. I can even go to the local Stop and Shop, and grab some pre-made falafel patties from the prepared foods section. And, of course, I can get all the stuff I need to make them at home.
There are a lot of falafel recipes out there, and they usually start in one of three ways: with dried chickpeas, which are soaked and cooked; with canned chickpeas, which are rinsed and drained; and with chickpea flour, to which liquid is added. I've used the latter two methods, and both are good. I'm fond of the chickpea flour method because there's no extra salt added to the chickpea flour, and a bag of chickpea flour that makes five dozen falafels is about the same size as a can of chickpeas that makes only about one dozen. Oh, and if you get that flour in bulk, it's also very inexpensive.
I have been using the recipe on the back of the Bob's Red Mill chickpea flour bag to make my falafels, pretty much. I double the amount of spices (cumin, coriander, onion powder, and garlic powder), but use the same amount of salt. I also replace the parsley flakes (feh--pointless and flavorless) with fresh chopped parsley. Another nice thing about the chickpea flour is that I can mix up all the dry stuff, chop the parsley and put it in the fridge, and let it sit for however long I like before actually making the falafels.
When I'm ready to make them, I mix everything with lemon juice and hot water, and let it sit for ten minutes. Instead of frying my falafels, I bake them in the oven. I spray a cookie sheet, and drop the falafel mix onto it in twelve little lumps. I try to shape them a bit to make them more even and neat, when I think of it. Then I spray their tops with olive oil, and bake them until they start to get golden brown. Flip, and bake another few minutes, and they're ready.
These guys are yummy as-is, but I like to make them into pita sandwiches. I whip up a sauce with plain Greek yogurt, tahini, and lemon juice, and put that on the pita, then add some thinly sliced cucumber, onion, and tomato. Then come the falafels. Then, I eat!
I like a nice green salad to accompany the falafels, preferably with plenty of cucumber and tomato. I tend to dress it with olive oil and lemon juice, and some spearmint (dried during the winter, or minced fresh now that I have some growing in the garden). I added a little feta to the salad last night for some extra zing. All in all, while the oven did heat up the kitchen, the meal itself was perfect for a hot night.
