Falafel is a fan favorite. This is slept-on comfort food in my eyes. The crispy falafel goes well with practically anything. I like to make a batch of dough at the beginning of the week and then scoop out balls daily and fry them up for lunch. They are perfect to eat on top of pita, on a salad, with couscous, etc. Add this to your weekly lunch rotation, or use them as a great appetizer for a party!
Serves 4:
Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 Cup of Rinsed Canned Chickpeas
3/4 Cup of Shallots - Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves - Chopped
1/2 Cup of Parsley - Chopped
1/4 Cup of Sunflower Seeds
1/4 Cup of Flour
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Ras El Hanout (Moroccan Spice)
1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp of Black Pepper
1 tsp of Garlic Powder
1 tsp of Salt
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
Oil for frying (I typically use grapeseed oil)
Breadcrumbs
Add chickpeas, shallots, garlic, parsley, sunflower seeds, flour, seasonings, and olive oil to a blender or food processor. Continuously pulse until ingredients are combined and have a paste, yet coarse texture (it is okay if you still see chunks of chickpeas or sunflower seeds in your dough). If the mixture isn’t coming together add more olive oil.
Next transfer this dough to a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before frying. I typically keep my dough in a bowl with a lid in the fridge (it lasts about a week).
When you are ready to fry, heat oil in a pan on medium. Use a tablespoon and scoop out balls of dough. Roll into a ball and then roll them in breadcrumbs to coat the outside (I prefer to use Panko breadcrumbs). Once the oil is heated fry each the falafel for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until it begins to turn brown on each side.
Serve with pita, hummus, arugula, and feta- or on top of a salad!