FALAFEL RECIPE

FALAFEL

These is a delicious savoury snack made with chickpeas. Does not need too many ingredients but taste wonderful being so crispy and crunchy on the outside but fairly soft from the inside. Quite addictive I might add!

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Chickpeas (Rinsed well and left to soak overnight in water)

1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

4 or 5 Large Cloves of Garlic

1/2 Inch Piece of Fresh Ginger (Optional)

1 Medium Sized Onion

2 or  3 Green Chillies

2 Tbsp Plain Flour

A Small Bunch of Parsley (can be substituted with Cilantro)

1 tsp Salt (or a little more )

1/4 tsp Soda Bi-Carbonate

Juice of 1 Lime

Oil For Frying

DIRECTIONS:

Place the drained chickpeas, and roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger (if using) and green chillies along with the cumin seeds into a food processing bowl. Add half a cup of water just enough to enable the processor blade to run smoothly. DO NOT process too much so as to obtain a pasty batter. The consistency should be mushy but still grainy. Add very little water if more needed.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the soda-bi-carbonate, flour, lime juice, salt and the chopped parsley or cilantro. Mix to combine well. Taste for salt. Add more if needed.

Place the wok half filled with oil on heat. Wait until it is moderately hot. Place a little of the mixture onto the falafel mould.

Ensure that you smoothen it out well with the spatula.

If you do not have a falafel mould, then you can just take a small ball of the mixture into your hand, and flatten it with a wet hand to form a circular shape. Make sure you do not make them large or too thick otherwise they may not cook through too well.

Carefully slide each one into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the wok. Let them fry in the oil until you see that the underside of each is changing colour to light golden brown. Flip each one and let the other side cook to a golden brown colour to. Ensure that your oil is  not too hot or else they will brown too quickly and remain uncooked from inside. Once done remove them from oil and place on absorbent paper.