Falafel, 6 servings 500 g dried chickpeas 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate 1 large onion, chopped or 3-4 scallions 3 dl chopped parsley leaves (medium-sized bunch) 4 cloves of garlic 1.5 tsp salt Spices: 2 tbsp falafel spices (available ready mix in oriental grocery stores) Make your own fall bug seasoning: 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp black pepper 1 teaspoon seven spices - recipe HERE! if you can't find pre-mixed in the store Additional addition: 0.5 teaspoon of bicarbonate 2 teaspoons baking powder Vegetable oil for frying SERVING SUGGESTIONS, click on the suggestions to get to the recipe: Pita bread Garlic and chili sauce Tarator tahina sauce (dairy-free vegan sauce) Pickled cabbage
Do this: Soak chickpeas in a large bowl of cold water along with bicarbonate of soda. Let stand for at least 10 hours, preferably 12-14 hours. Remember to have a spacious bowl with plenty of water, the chickpeas will swell. Strain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Place half of the chickpeas in a food processor and grind them thoroughly for a good while. Or grind everything in batches in a meat grinder.
At first the chickpeas will become like crumbs, continue to grind them until they become a smooth mass. Open the lid of the food processor from time to time, scrape off the chickpeas that stick to the edges. It takes about 5-7 minutes until the chickpeas are completely mixed. It is important that they are properly ground, otherwise they will fall apart when you fry them. Take the other half of the chickpeas and grind in the same way. Coarsely chop parsley, onion and squeeze garlic. Put them together with the spices and the chickpea mass in the food processor, mix a few more turns.
When everything is finely ground and properly mixed, put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes, you can also prepare the batter several hours before it is to be fried, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 12 hours. You can also freeze the falafel batter for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Just before frying, mix baking powder and bicarbonate, mix thoroughly. Let stand for approx. 15 min. Shape your falafel into the desired size, there is a falafel tool that you can use to get a nice shape. Also works to shape the falafel with your hand or 2 spoons. Heat oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Serve with plenty of vegetables, tahina sauce, pickles and pita bread or fries.
Mild tahina sauce (you can find vegan tahina sauce HERE!) 1 cup tahina (sesame paste) 3 dl natural yogurt or 2 dl water 1 squeezed lemon 1 clove of garlic (can be omitted or added more if you want a sharper garlic taste) 0.5 tsp salt 0.5 dl finely chopped parsley
Mix tahina, salt, lemon and garlic in a bowl. Beat with a hand whisk or fork until it becomes a firm mass. Add yogurt and mix thoroughly, preferably with a stick blender. Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. If you think the sauce is too thick, you can dilute it with a little water. Mix parsley into the sauce just before serving.