Falafel Recipe*NEW RECIPES ADDED Pg. 2

I thought I would make this it's own thread outside of the tahini thread just in case others might be interested.

IMO, the secret of making good falafel is the process.  

First, use real chickpeas, not canned.  Take at least 2 cups of uncooked chickpeas and put them in a big bowl.  Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp of baking soda.  Cover with water.  Soak AT LEAST 24 hours.  I have been known to soak a day and a half actually.  Drain them well.  Put in the fridge for at least 24 hours, wouldn't hurt to do 2 days.  The reason for this is that it dries out the chickpeas and softens them up.  The next part is a real pain, but so worth it.  You need to skin the chickpeas.  Over the years, I've learned a trick.  When you press down on the chickpea, when they are soft enough, the chickpea splits in half and you kind of snap the skin off.  Sounds odd, but once you press a couple of chickpeas, you will figure out what I mean. 
Discard the skins.  

Depending on how big your food processer is, you may need to do small batches with the next ingredients.

Take a bunch of parsley and a bunch of cilantro.  Remove the stems.  Take a bunch of dill, remove stems also.  (By bunch, I mean a bunch that you would find in the grocery store).  These MUST BE FRESH! Not dried!!!!  ****Also, make sure that your herbs are DRY after washing them before putting them in the processer.

1 onion, quartered and quartered again.  At LEAST 10 garlic cloves, peeled.  The more the better.

Next you need to add the chickpeas, herbs, onions and garlic into the processer.  If you can fit it all, then add the following spices.  If not, half the amount of spices for the next batch.  

1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp pepper, 1 tbsp cumin

Process all together.  Make sure that everything is chopping up well.  I recommend pulsing the processer so that you can push down the mix to make sure that everything is getting chopped.  You also want to make sure that the mix is staying "dry".  You should NOT process down to liquid.  Think of how salmon patty mix is.  You don't want it to wet or too dry because it doesn't fry well.  Same thing with the falafel mix.  If the mix is too wet, try adding a tbsp of flour at a time to see if that helps.

Your mix should be really green and really fragrant.  Put in a bowl and put in the fridge for 24 hours.  Again, this helps to dry it out.

I typically make BIG BIG batches of this (like 300-400 patties) because this mix freezes GREAT!  If you plan to freeze, you must make your patties first.  I have a falafel scoop, which you may be able to find at a Middle Eastern market.  If not, just use a soup spoon to scoop out to make your patty.  Roll it between the palm of your hands into a ball.  Then gently press it into "an oval hockey puck".  Not too fat, not too thin.  Have a tray with parchment paper to put your patties on to freeze.  I usually will stick the tray into the freezer for at least 6 hours so that they are frozen.  Pop them into a ziploc bag.  I like to write the date because they will keep for a loooooooooonnnnnnnnnnggg time!  ***Edited to add:  The reason for freezing the patties before putting them in a ziploc bag is so that they don't stick together.  Ask me how I know!!!!

Whether you are frying from the fridge or from frozen, make sure that your oil is hot.  Falafel will fry quick so you need to watch it.  When you start to see the brown come up around the edge, flip it.  Be careful not to overfry because then it WILL taste like a hockey puck!  Fry maybe 5-7 minutes each side.  Careful as the oil gets hotter.

I do not have an air fryer so I cannot give you tips on cooking it in there.  

If you want to add in sesame seeds, add that in with the spices when mixing.

Enjoy!