Ifferjenn Independent

One great thing about John is how he’s gotten me hooked on all kinds of delicious food I hadn’t eaten before. Falafel is one of them…mostly thanks to visits to The Falafel Palace in Central Square, Cambridge, MA. After a couple visits, we wanted our own falafel at home, so I got to learn to make it. It’s actually quite easy, particularly starting off with this recipe, which I’ve modified a little bit in the year or so since I’ve been making it.

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp. coriander
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 Tbsp. parsley
• at least 3 Tbsp. white flour

First quarter the onions and toss into a food processor. Give them a bit of a whirl to start mincing them, then add your garlic. Whir again to mix the two together. Add your spices and whirl until everything is mixed well. These measurements are for dried spices, which are easier for us to buy in bulk. If you are using fresh spices, you should only need about half. Add your chickpeas, then whir until everything is mixed fairly well.

Take everything out of the food processor and transfer to a  large bowl. This starts the trickiest part: getting the consistency just right. You’ll want to add flour until you get a moist dough you can roll into small balls. I’ll usually start with 2 heaping tablespoons of white flour, but will sometimes add 2 more, one at a time. With some experimentation, you’ll get the hang of it. Your goal will be to make about a dozed golf-ball sized dough balls, which you should squish down slightly so they’re like little patties.

In a big frying pan, pour about 1.5 inches of olive oil. Heat the oil, then add the falafel balls. Fry on one side for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and fry on the other side for an additional 4 minutes. Drain on a paper lunch bag. Wrap in Syrian bread or a lavash rollup, or stuff inside a pita pocket with lettuce, tomato, hummus, pickles, onion, and feta cheese. Also makes great leftovers heated up and over a salad with hummus for dressing.

Now, I make the recipe with a food processor, because it is sooo much easier on me. Prior to using the food processor, however, we used an old school potato masher, which also helps to build up your arm muscles. If you’re doing it that way, you’ll want to make sure to finely mince your onions and garlic, as well as heating up (then cooling) your chickpeas to help them mash better. I’ve also experimented with wheat flour, which did not help to hold them together very well, and frying in peanut oil, which definitely gave them a different flavor. I also don’t make them more than once or twice a month, so I’ll usually double the recipe, as they do make very good leftovers.

I like cooking, particularly if it’s a seemingly complicated recipe that requires special tools. Like a blowtorch. Mmm…blowtorch… Last night’s dinner did not require the blowtorch (I need a new one anyway), but I did get out the food processor, so it kind of counts. And it involved frying! Without further ado…Falafel!

In the food processor, take two onions, quartered, and whir them up until they’re at least minced. Toss in four cloves of garlic or so (last night was a six-clove night), and whir a bit more. Large chunks of garlic are okay, as garlic is just magical in its own right. Drain two cans of chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), and put them in the food processor as well. Let all that mix together for a bit, at least until you can’t see many separate chickpeas.

For spices, now you should add in four teaspoons each of cumin and coriander. Also add in four tablespoons of parsley. Your boyfriend might sneak in a symbolic amount of olive oil (less than a teaspoon), which is okay. Too much, though, and you might as well start making hummus. Mix this all together well, occasionally scraping down the sides. Before you take it off the processor, you can start mixing in flour to firm up the dough. You’ll probably need at least four tablespoons…though I think I used about twice that yesterday.

Roll the dough into 15-20 balls, no bigger than a golf ball, though you’ll want to flatten them a little before putting them in the oil. I use a wok with about an inch or two of olive oil in the bottom, which I heat up while I’m finishing up the first batch of balls. Fry each side for about 5-8 minutes per side. The timing will depend on how big the balls are and how warm the oil is. Either way, they are done once they are golden brown and delicious.

How to eat these treasures? For us, we’ll pick up some real Syrian breads at one of the local bakeries in town. Many times, we’ll go to the Bay State Bakery on Water Street in Worcester, but yesterday we went to Lee’s Bakery on Hamilton Street. Both have equally delicious bread, even more so as they are baked fresh. They also have fantastic hummus. Wrap up the falafel balls with some hummus, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and cheese (feta, preferably), and you’ve got yourself some deliciousness!