Falafel

[Blueshark]

I am going to make my own falafel, since I can't find it in the local supermarkets.

Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe?

I found one on the net I may use, but if someone has some good advice, please chip in.

I also heard from Eric Marcus's podcast that a pressure cooker, is a very good way to cook chick peas (he did it for hummus).

However I am going to use the canned chick peas for my first attempt.

Thanks.

[ukahela]

i think canned chick peas don't work very well in falafel - you actually use the peas raw, grinding them coarsely and then letting them soak with the rest of the stuff.

i won't give any recipe suggestions, though, as all the home-made falafel i ever made turned out nearly unedible... yuk! but there's often a recipe on chick pea or gram flour package.

[Blueshark]

i won't give any recipe suggestions, though, as all the home-made falafel i ever made turned out nearly unedible... yuk! but there's often a recipe on chick pea or gram flour package.

That doesnt bode well, but thanks anyway.

Wont find any recipes here that are not in Dutch though

[Lily]

I'll have a look and see if I've got a recipe in one of my books...

[Blueshark]

Thanks lily

[ukahela]

That doesnt bode well, but thanks anyway.

don't worry, i'm sure there must be plenty o' people that have made delicious falafel - just have to find a good recipe and stick to it. i probably left out all the things i didn't have at home not really knowing what difference they'd make to the final result

good luck anyway

[Jacqui]

Felafel uses soaked and ground chick peas, not cooked.

my recipe is roughly..
1 cup ground chickpeas (soaked for at least 12 hours)
1/2 cup cracked wheat or polenta (soaked)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cup coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1tab spoon lemon juice
salt
chilli

Roll into balls and deep fry.
I dont use a recipe and just add more flour if needed and substitute things like polenta for cracked wheat, if I dont have any. That makes quite a lot, but that does me two days, for two people. Enjoy.

[Blueshark]

Cheers.

Do you have to deep fry it?

The recipe I found didnt specify this.

[Jacqui]

I find they turn out best deep fried, but you can just fry in a pan.
Also, you can have the cracked wheat AND polenta. The polenta makes them more spongey, without it they are more crunchy.

[Lily]

This is from 'Easy Vegan Cooking' by Leah Leneman:


'The secret of this recipe is to use raw beans, not cooked ones. Serve them in pitta bread pockets, with shredded lettuce and finely chopped cucumber and tomato, with some tahini creamed with lemon juice and crushed garlic.'


225g/1/2lb/11/3 cups chick peas (garbanzo beans)
6 spring onions (scallions)
2tsp coriander seeds
2tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
2tsp chopped parsley
1tsp sea salt
1tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
As required freshly ground black pepper
As required vegetable oil for frying

1) Cover the chick peas (garbanzo beans) with cold water and leave to soak overnight. Drain well and grind the beans - in a food processor, liquidizer (do them in at least 4 separate batches), or mincer.

2) Chop the spring onions (scallions) finely. Grind the coriander and cumin. Crush the garlic.

3) Combine all the remaining ingredients with the chick peas (garbanzo beans) in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.

4) Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a walnut (or smaller if desired). Deep fry them in oil which has been heated to 350-375 degrees F/180-190 degrees C (or in a deep fat fryer) until they are golden. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.


I've never made any myself but this looks easy enough even for me!

Let us know how you get on if you make it, Blueshark .

[Jacqui]

garlic, at least 2 cloves, I forgot

[Blueshark]

Great. I will print these off, and give it a go tommorow.

[BunnyHugger]

I was just curious if anyone loves falafel as much as I do. A non-vegan friend of mine cooked some for me at his house one day and I've been hooked ever since. I find it to be tastier and more delicous than any other meat replacers out there including tofu and soy burgers(though I am a huge fan of Boca). It's especailly good on a whole wheat bun with plain yellow mustard.

Also, what are people's favorite vegan snacks?

Mine is, hands-down, Garden of Eatin Red Hot Blues organic corn chips dipped in Cedar's organic roasted red chilli pepper hummus.

[Tigerlily]

I like my falafel the traditional way in a pita wrap or pocket with tahini+lemon juice, pickled turnip, shredded lettuce, tomato, and other veggies.

[harpy]

I was just curious if anyone loves falafel as much as I do. A non-vegan friend of mine cooked some for me at his house one day and I've been hooked ever since. I find it to be tastier and more delicous than any other meat replacers out there including tofu and soy burgers(though I am a huge fan of Boca). It's especailly good on a whole wheat bun with plain yellow mustard.

Yes, I and my OH are fellow falafel addicts. We were in Dublin recently and in one restaurant OH had a giant falafel the size of a burger, and presented like one. Mind you he felt a bit the worse for wear afterwards - I suspect it had been deep fried and was rather greasy.

[Tigerlily]

Deep fried is the only way to go. Baked falafel tastes like shite. It's like mircowaving a cake without any fat or sugar added.

[FR]

Whatever you do, do not use the mixes that are sold. There is a huge difference in taste between those and homemade ones.

I like mine with humus spread out in a pita pocket, veggies on the bottom, falafel on top, then topped with tahini.

[saucyvegan]

Trust u to be on this thread FR!!!!!!!!

[BunnyHugger]

Whatever you do do not use the mixes that are sold.

I have to disagree. Though I've never had homemade falafel, I find Fantastic brand organic falafel to be super yum.

[FR]

I have to disagree. Though I've never had homemade falafel, I find Fantastic brand organic falafel to be super yum.

Well give us an update after you've tried homemade falafel, or at least falafel at a vegan friendly restaurant.

[tabitha]

Whatever you do, do not use the mixes that are sold. There is a huge difference in taste between those and homemade ones.

I like mine with humus spread out in a pita pocket, veggies on the bottom, falafel on top, then topped with tahini.

Do you think about anything else other than food young man Actually, dont answer that, cos I THINK I just might know the answer to that question.......

Ps by the way that sounds delicious, apart from the tahini (gag).

[harpy]

Baking seems to work OK with ready-made ones, Tigerlily, but I suspect they've already been fried during the manufacturing process?

I'm sure the freshly fried ones I've had in middle eastern restaurants are the most authentic, and they're certainly delicious.

[Tigerlily]

As a Middle Eastern girl, I have never eaten the packaged the stuff, so I can't really say.

[harpy]

Lucky old you! E-mail me a couple of yours, will you? I could just fancy a falafel at the moment

[aubergine]

Maoz Falafel is an essential visit when I'm in London.

I hear there's several in Amsterdam. Useful to know.

[Juice]

Trust u to be on this thread FR!!!!!!!!

I like what FR compared falafel to in a different thread lol

[tabitha]

I like what FR compared falafel to in a different thread lol

I think he'd been meeting the wrong kind of women though....

[Tigerlily]

Lucky old you! E-mail me a couple of yours, will you? I could just fancy a falafel at the moment

Sure! My aunt makes them, she's amazing at it. Hers are even better than the falafel I had in falafel restaurants in the Middle East!

[FR]

You can also make them with a combination of chick peas and fava beans. They seem even better with that combination.

FYI, falafel isn't an animal meat substitute, just like seiten, tempeh, and tofu aren't. They are stand alone food items. The origin of falafel is said to date back to the Egyptian desert nomads who then introduced them to Asian Arabs, and Asian Hebrews.

[saucyvegan]

I like what FR compared falafel to in a different thread lol

Do YOU see the connection Juice?

[Juice]

Do YOU see the connection Juice?

No... but I don't remember if he was saying they literally taste the same, or if he was just saying he enjoys the flavor of falafel just as much as the other. I'd have to go back and re-read the original post.

I don't think anything else compares to that other juice.

[Xenakicksass]

I love Falafal! there is a great recipe for them in the "garden of vegan" cook book. It uses canned chick peas and it works very well. You shallow fry these one's too. Gorgeous

[FR]

No... but I don't remember if he was saying they literally taste the same, or if he was just saying he enjoys the flavor of falafel just as much as the other. I'd have to go back and re-read the original post.

I don't think anything else compares to that other juice.

No, no, no. What I said was falafel smells similar to some of the gal’s _____ that I’ve been with in the past. There was either a falafel smell (which is good) no smell (again, good), a soap fruity scent smell (good again), or a fish smell (BAD!!!!).

It's the cumin in falafel actually. If you have cumin around, smell it, and see if you think it’s similar.

[saucyvegan]

Cringe

[tabitha]

Cringe

As well you might cringe my girl.....

[TofurkyZombie]

I just ate a falafel. It is good. Who wouldn't want to eat falafels?!?!?

[Juice]

No, no, no. What I said was falafel smells similar to some of the gal’s _____ that I’ve been with in the past. There was either a falafel smell (which is good) no smell (again, good), a soap fruity scent smell (good again), or a fish smell (BAD!!!!).

It's the cumin in falafel actually. If you have cumin around, smell it, and see if you think it’s similar.

when I get home you can bet I'm raiding the spice cabinet to see for myself.

[puffin]

As well you might cringe my girl.....

Lol

[Wildflower]

It's the cumin in falafel actually. If you have cumin around, smell it, and see if you think it’s similar.

Going to smell my cumin jar...

OK, it smelled like chilli powder to me, but my boyfriend agrees with you! He said it is a metallic kinda smell...

You learn something everyday...

[Roxy]

Okay, I just smelled my cumin jar too. Sorry - I don't smell the connection.

[JustPeachy]

I've always made mine with red beans, or mixed with chick peas. Personally, I chop some onion and garlic, mix it with the pre heated beans and mash them together, put some basil, different herbs and lemon juice. I cook them on a pan with margarine, otherwise, they don't stick together.

But I make the best hummus ever, I think I suck with falafel, but I'd love if someone made me some.

[gogs67]

I bought a packet of falafel mix the other day for the 1st time (the mix that is,i love falafel) but i added about 6 or 7 garlic cloves and a tablespoon of lemon juice and a touch of tobasco.As i dont have a deep fryer i put olive oil in a small backing tray and filled it with the mix and baked it for 20 mins.
What i endedup with was a delicious falafel cake that i just cut strips off and scooped up humous with for the next day or so!

[FR]

Going to smell my cumin jar...

OK, it smelled like chilli powder to me, but my boyfriend agrees with you! He said it is a metallic kinda smell...

You learn something everyday...

See, us men know!!