Although I made chicken shawarma for everyone else, I chose to stick with only veggies and it was pretty cool. The falafel came out fluffy and light with a tiny hint of spice. They were a perfect accompaniment to the hummus and tabhouli and although they were a bit tedious, they’re well worth it.
Yields 30 tbs sized falafel
1 c dried chickpeas
3 c water
1.5 c parsley, packed
1.5 c cilantro, packed
1 tbs shallot, minced
6 scallions, whites and greens
2 tbs garlic, minced
½ tbs cumin
1 serrano, seeded and diced
1 tsp baking powder
Kosher salt to taste
Put chickpeas in a container and cover with 3 cups water. Allow to soak overnight (roughly 17-18 hours). When ready to prep the falafel drain chickpeas, transfer to a food processor along with remaining ingredients. Process for 1 minute intervals until falafel is smooth. Get a plate or lined sheet pan ready. Scoop 1 tbs of the mix out and drop it on the plate, (similar to drop cookies). Use the back of the tbs to lightly tap on the little pile of falafel, creating a thick mini pancake. Repeat process, making sure the patties do not touch. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and repeat process. Continue until all 3 are scooped out. Cover final layer with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. (I put mine in the deep freezer for 1.5 hours and they came out perfect.
About 10 minutes before pulling them out of the freezer, preheat your deep fryer between 335-340°, leaving the basket in the oil to heat up. Once the fryer is up to temp, pull the basket up. Carefully set some of your falafel disks in the hot basket taking care not to actually touch the basket with your bare hand. Make sure the disks are not touching. Lower the basket into the oil and fry on one side for roughly 2 minutes. Using a fryer tool, carefully turn each falafel over to fry opposite side. Once both sides have browned, transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil. I love these things at room temp.
Girl-Chef Tastes 