Week 5: Legumes - Falafel

FYI. Falafel are are super easy.

I almost made these last year for Middle Eastern week but I think I was too tired from a work trip to attempt them. Of course now I know they aren’t that big of a pain to make.

I went the dried chickpeas route, they make for a firmer falafel I feel. Canned are ok, and mean you can skip soaking them, but I plan my meals in advanced enough that needing a soak isn’t a big deal. I used this recipe, and I think the beauty of it is you can adjust the seasoning to taste without compromising the structure. I added all the seasonings because my household is not picky.

The recipe calls for frying them in 3" of oil, but I got away fine with about ½" in a cast iron skillet. You want them to be golden brown on both sides, and flattening the balls before frying makes them easier to handle.

We served them in warm pitas with cucumber, onion, green pepper, tomatoes, cilantro and tahini. I have leftovers so I’ll be having a fancy falafel salad for lunch tomorrow.