This recipe is from Great Vegetarian Dishes. Falafel are delicious served stuffed inside pita bread, dressed with tahini sauce or hummus and accompanied by green salad.
1 ¼ C. chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
½ tsp. asafoetida powder
¾ C. finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 ½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. baking powder
oil or ghee for deep-frying
1. Finely mince chickpeas in a food processor. Scrape chickpeas into a bowl. Fold in the herbs, spices, salt, and baking powder. Mix well, knead and leave for 30 minutes.
2. Form the mixture into 14-16 falafel balls. If they’re too sticky, roll the falafel in a little flour. Repeat until all the mixture is rolled.
3. Fill a heavy pan or wok with oil or ghee to a depth of approximately 3 inches. Heat until moderately hot. Deep-fry 6-8 falafels at a time, turning when required, for 5-6 minutes, or until they’re evenly golden brown.
4. Remove and drain on paper towels. Cook remaining falafel. Serve hot, as recommended above.
