Sasha's Kitchen: Falafel

Falafel always reminds me of my time spent in Israel, and of my Jewish heritage.  I've been meaning to post this recipe for awhile. I have tried various recipes for falafel with mixed results until trying Sarah Raven's recipe from Fresh From the Garden.  This time I didn't have the usual problems of the falafel balls not sticking together properly, and they fried up perfectly in canola oil for a healthier falafel. I served it with some cucumbers and tomatoes, as well Sabra hummus for that perfect Israeli meal.  This recipe makes 35 falafel balls and I didn't need nearly that many since it was just a week night dinner for the two of us, so I cut the recipe in half (full recipe is below).

Falafel
1 lb dired chickpeas
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, quartered
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, stalks removed
small bunch of fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest if 1/2 lemon, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp baking soda

Soak the chickpeas in cold water for about 12 hours. Drain and put them in a food processor with all of the other ingredients. Process and blend until combined but not fully pureed. You want them to have some texture.  Allow mixture to stand for 30 minutes before shaping into 35 balls.  Then allow to stand for another 35 minutes. Fill a saucepan or deep fryer with canola oil . I always fry with canola oil (regardless of what a recipe calls for) because it is much healthier. You would like a couple inches of oil. Heat to 375 and deep fry the balls - the falafel balls, that is :) Fry for about four minutes until golden brown, and drain on paper towels.

Sasha's Kitchen: Falafel

Sasha's Kitchen: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I love hummus, one of my favorite Israeli foods.  Eating hummus always takes me back to the summer I spent in Israel. It's not really necessary to make your own as you can get delicious hummus at pretty much any grocery store. But I figured I'd give it a try since it's not very hard. I also figured it would be a great way to use my new Strawberry Casserole Dish from Le Creuset that I got in a promotion from CSN Stores. I love Le Creuset for the colors and quality of the cookware and this strawberry dish is perfect for serving delicious dips and sauces.

For my first time preparing hummus, I decided to make a roasted red pepper flavored hummus, which was quite delicious. It's very simple to make as long as you remember to soak the chickpeas overnight. The rest is done using your blender. This probably isn't the most authentic Israeli version but it has the consistency and flavors right. It would likely taste delicious with homemade falafel, as well.

Sasha's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

8 oz chickpeas (soaked in water for at least 12 hours)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chile powder

1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup tahini

1 tsp diced garlic

3 roasted red peppers

1 T chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, except for the olive oil. Blend until combined. Blend, adding the olive oil (between 1/3 and 1/2 of a cup total) until the hummus is smooth and has the right consistency. Serve as a dip with vegetables or with falafel and pita.

Sasha's Kitchen: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Sasha's Kitchen: Homemade Falafel and Israeli Salad With Tahini Yogurt Sauce

When I was in Israel for 8 weeks one summer during my high school years, I tasted some of the best falafel that I ever had.  One of the other things that I liked best about the cuisine in Israel (aside from the amazing giant Apricot fruit rolls that I discovered on Ben Yehuda Street that I have since been unable to find anywhere else in the world) was the basic Israeli Salad which was served with just about everything in Israel from falafel to schwarma.  I decided to create an Israeli meal with my own falafel, a tahini yogurt sauce and an Israeli salad to bring be back to those great memories of my summer in Israel.  The recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence's Recipe on the Food Network, while I added a traditional Israeli salad. I was concerned that the falafel balls would fall apart when they were fried so I added a bit water to the recipe below before forming the falafel balls (just about a tablespoon or two).  In addition, I used canola oil to fry them rather than vegetable oil, so they are actually a reasonably healthy treat.  These were served for brunch with our friends Alica and Alex, and were thoroughly enjoyed with a dessert of chocolate chip brioche (my recipe coming soon!)

Falafel
2 cups dried chickepeas  (soak for 18 to 24 hours in cold water before using)
1 tsp baking powder
1 small onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1 T cumin
1 T coriander
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 handfulls fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 handfull fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
canola oil for frying
warm pita bread

Israeli Salad
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
2 heirloom tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 T lemon juice

Tahini Yogurt Sauce
1/2 cup tahini (tahini is a type of sesame seed paste)
1/2 cup FAGE greek yogurt
1 T lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
pinch of salt
pinch of paprika


Put the chickpeas in a bowl and add water to cover by two inches.  Soak in cold water in the refrigerator for 17-24 hours.  The chickpeas will triple in size from their dried form.  Do not use canned garbanzo beans - I am told that your falafel will be soggy if you do.

Put the soaked chickepeas in a food processor and pulse to grind coarsely.  Add the other ingredients and mix well to combine.  Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Pur three inches of canola oil in a deep fryer or a large pot.  Roll the falafel into balls about the size of ping pong balls (this recipe should make about 24 falafel). If you have trouble forming balls that are cohesive, add a tablespoon of water to the mix. Fry until the chickpea balls are crusty brown on all sides and voila - its falafel.  Serve with the pita bread, tahini sauce and Israeli salad.

Falafel

Sasha's Kitchen: Homemade Falafel and Israeli Salad With Tahini Yogurt Sauce