I was inspired by my lovely school, Oberlin College, to make Falafel. Beans and other legumes make a regular appearance in our dining hall and this meal takes me back. I was also admittedly tired of making meat-centric meals, so I turned to the noble chickpea as an alternative. To accompany the simple Falafel I made Tabbouleh, a classic Mediterranean bulgur and herb salad.
This really was quite a simple meal, as none of the parts had very many ingredients. The only step that proved to be vexing was the frying, because not only is this the first thing I have ever fried, but I also have a healthy fear of hot oil. Regardless, this turned out to be very delicious and I would totally recommend it to anyone who wants an easy vegetarian meal.
Recipe:
Falafel
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste
Oil for deep-frying
1.) Put the chickpeas and all of the other ingredients, except for the oil, into a food processor and pulse until it is minced, but not pureed. Adding tablespoons of water if needed to help the processor do its job, while keeping the mix as dry as possible. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
2.) In a large, deep pan put at least 2 inches of oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and heat the oil to about 350 degrees.
3.) Scoop out heaping tablespoon of the mixture and shape them into balls or patties. Fry in batches, without crowding, until nicely browned, turning as necessary: total cooking time will be less than 5 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.
Hummus
1 can drained chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of one lemon
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1.) Put the chickpeas, tahini and other ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup yogurt
1/2 English cucumber, seeded, finely grated and drained
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp dill
Salt and Pepper
1.) In a bowl, mix together the ingredients and refrigerate.
Tabbouleh
1 cup bulgur
1/3 cup olive oil, more as needed
1/4 cup lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
2 cups roughy chopped parsley
1 cup roughy chopped mint
Chunked tomatoes
1.) In a small pot boil 2 cups of water. Remove from heat and pour in the bulgur. Let sit for 30-40 minutes.
2.) Drain the bulgur and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If not serving until later, mix in only the oil and lemon juice and chill. Before serving chop the parsley and mint and mix in.
This really was quite a simple meal, as none of the parts had very many ingredients. The only step that proved to be vexing was the frying, because not only is this the first thing I have ever fried, but I also have a healthy fear of hot oil. Regardless, this turned out to be very delicious and I would totally recommend it to anyone who wants an easy vegetarian meal.
Recipe:
Falafel
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste
Oil for deep-frying
1.) Put the chickpeas and all of the other ingredients, except for the oil, into a food processor and pulse until it is minced, but not pureed. Adding tablespoons of water if needed to help the processor do its job, while keeping the mix as dry as possible. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
2.) In a large, deep pan put at least 2 inches of oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and heat the oil to about 350 degrees.
3.) Scoop out heaping tablespoon of the mixture and shape them into balls or patties. Fry in batches, without crowding, until nicely browned, turning as necessary: total cooking time will be less than 5 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.
Hummus
1 can drained chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of one lemon
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1.) Put the chickpeas, tahini and other ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup yogurt
1/2 English cucumber, seeded, finely grated and drained
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp dill
Salt and Pepper
1.) In a bowl, mix together the ingredients and refrigerate.
Tabbouleh
1 cup bulgur
1/3 cup olive oil, more as needed
1/4 cup lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
2 cups roughy chopped parsley
1 cup roughy chopped mint
Chunked tomatoes
1.) In a small pot boil 2 cups of water. Remove from heat and pour in the bulgur. Let sit for 30-40 minutes.
2.) Drain the bulgur and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If not serving until later, mix in only the oil and lemon juice and chill. Before serving chop the parsley and mint and mix in.
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