FELAFEL

  

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked for 8 hours or overnight

2 tbsp. fine-grain bulgur

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro leaves

2 tsp. salt

1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Pinch turmeric, or more to taste (optional)

¹⁄₈-¹⁄₄ tsp. cardamom seeds (optional)

Vegetable oil

Instructions

Drain chickpeas, then put into the bowl of a food processor and grind, scraping sides with a rubber spatula as needed, until chickpeas are the texture of cornmeal. Mixture should just hold together when pressed between your thumb and forefinger. Transfer ground chickpeas to a large bowl. Add bulgur, onions, garlic, parsley, cilantro, salt, cumin, coriander, baking powder, pepper, cayenne, and, if you like, turmeric and cardamom seeds. Mix well, then stir in 2 tbsp. water. Cover bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes.

Pour oil into a medium pot to a depth of 2'' and heat over medium heat until it reaches 350° on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, with wet hands, shape chickpea mixture into 24 1½-inch balls. Working in batches, fry felafel until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. To serve, stuff 3-4 hot felafels into a pita half and spoon some zehug yarok (green hot sauce) and some tehinah over the top, if you like.

Variations: For sesame felafel, spread about ½ cup sesame seeds on a dish. Flatten chickpea-mixture balls, made according to recipe above, into patties, then gently press both sides into seeds. Proceed with recipe, frying for only 2-3 minutes. For Egyptianta'amia, substitute dried fava beans for dried chickpeas and proceed with recipe.