Falafels are one of my favorites, made from garbanzo beans, either the dried beans soaked and ground up in a food processor or from the can or there is a packaged type in the healthfood aisle of the grocery store. I have found that when making them from the dried soaked state they are crispier — as the canned beans are already cooked and tend to be somewhat mushy. This homemade recipe does take a little bit of time but it is well worth the effort. There is plenty of protein in falafels — 8 grams in a 1/4 cup serving (from the garbanzos). Shaped into patties or formed into balls, falafels can be served as an appetizer with dipping sauce, as a main meal or stuffed into pita pockets , loaded with veggies and drizzled with sesame tahini sauce for a healthy nutritious sandwich.
Ingredients
1 cup garbazo beans (soaked overnight)
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
2 tablespoons parsley chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 tablespoons flour
Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/2 cup water
2 jucie of lemons
3 cloves of garlic
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
Preparation
1. Soak the garbanzo beans overnight -drain.
2. In a food processor add all the other ingredients except the flour and process until crumbly.
3. Pour into a large bowl, add the flour a a tablespoon at the time and mix well.
4. Keep adding flour until you can easily form the mixture into balls or patties without them falling apart.
5. Place in the refridgerator and allow to chill while you make the Tahini Sauce.
7. Place all the ingredients for the tahini sauce in the food processor and process until smooth, it should be a thin sauce.
8. If it becomes too thick add more water or if you really like the tang add more lemon juice.
