This falafel recipe has a lot of ingredients but it is very easy to make. We Ducked it up with Mediterranean grilled chicken and put it in a vegetable wrap instead of a traditional pita.
Serve it with hummus, tzatziki, tahini and typical sides such as lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.
You will need to soak dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) overnight for your falafel to turn out right; canned beans are too tender and contain too much moisture to achieve the right consistency.
Don’t cook the beans, because this will result in a mushier and denser falafel, which is not the proper texture.
Also, I use a 8 cup food processor. This mix will fill it almost to the top so if you have a smaller food processor, you may need to cut the batch in half and prep twice.
May the Duck Be With You!
Falafel Ingredients
16 ounces dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 onions chopped
2 potatoes peeled and cubed
8 garlic cloves minced
1 cup cilantro leaves chopped
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons all-purpose baking soda
4-6 cups vegetable, canola or peanut oil
8-10 Wraps, tortillas or pita bread
You can add:
sliced tomatoes – sliced cucumber – chopped lettuce – chopped red onion – tahini sauce- tzatziki – hummus – dill aoli
Chicken Ingredients
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
¼ cup vegetable oil
Salt
4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon allspice
3 teaspoons red chili powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon clove powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Grilled Chicken Instructions
Pound the chicken breasts until ¼ to ½ inch thick with tenderizer side of mallet
Cut the chicken into bit sized strips
Marinate for 15 minutes in:
- 1 teaspoon of sale
- The juice from two lemons
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
Mix together:
- 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 3 teaspoons red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon clove powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Mix in the marinated chicken, then put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
Grill the chicken in oil for 2-3 minutes on each side and the chicken is ready for the burrito.
Falafel Instructions
Soak 16 ounces of dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in a pot overnight
You will be doing the food processing twice using a large food processor.
I cut the ingredients in half below for that process.
In an 8-cup food processor place:
- 8 ounces of soaked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and cubed
Cover, and process until finely chopped.
Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides.
To the mixing bowl, add:
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Process on low to blend thoroughly.
You want the mixture to hold together, but don’t over process.
You don’t want it turning into hummus!
Then add the following to the food processor:
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Process on low one more time to mix the ingredients.
Cover, and refrigerate 2 hours.
Do the food processing one more time with the second half of the ingredients.
After refrigerated, dissolve 2 teaspoons of baking soda in water and stir into the bean mixture until evenly blended.
Using damp hands, form the mixture into walnut sized balls.
Pour the canola or peanut oil into a deep fryer or deep-frying pan 1-2 inches deep.
Heat over medium-high heat.
Fry the falafel balls, turning so all sides are evenly browned, about 5 minutes.
Remove falafel from oil and drain on paper towels.
Repeat to cook remaining falafel balls.
Tahini & Hummus
Tahini Ingredients
1 cup Sesame seeds, hulled if you can find them
Grape seed, canola or a light olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons salt
Hummus Ingredients
½ cup Tahini
2 15-ounce cans of garbanzo beans
½ cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive
6 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Tahini Instructions
Add 1 cup sesame seeds to a wide, dry saucepan over medium-low heat
Toast, stirring constantly until the seeds become fragrant and very lightly colored (not brown), 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer toasted seeds to a baking sheet or large plate and cool completely.
(careful here, sesame seeds can burn quickly).
Add the toasted sesame seeds to a food processor then process until a crumbly paste forms, about 3 minute.
Add 3 tablespoons of the oil then process for 2 to 3 minutes more, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor a couple times.
Check the tahini’s consistency.
It should be smooth, not gritty and should be pourable.
You may need to process for another minute or add the additional tablespoon of oil.
Take 1/2 of the tahini mixture out of the food processor and put it aside for your second batch.
Keep the other half in the food processor for the next step.
Hummus Instructions
Add 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon) to the tahini in the food processor.
Process for 1 minute. scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds.
Add:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.
Open a 15 ounce can of garbanzo bean, drain the liquid into a cup.
We will be using some of it then rinse well with water .
Add the can of garbanzo beans to the food processor then process for 3 minutes.
Scrape sides and bottom of bowl if needed
