Back in the day when I worked at the New York Times Company, it was always big news for us when parked around the corner was the Halal truck. Once spotted, the excitement traveled quickly, and lunchtime couldn't come fast enough. We would find the truck by the sea of people already lined up and would join in. You could either order a half of a pita filled with these perfectly fried chickpea balls of heaven or a whole one. It was layered with lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, and doused in the most incredible white sauce. My mouth still waters just thinking about it. I decided that my family needed to share my experience, and I set out to recreate my memories. I started with dried garbanzo beans and soaked them overnight. I then mixed them with aromatics, lots of parsley, and a touch of seasoning. I fried them to crisp perfection and made my version of white sauce with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. They were delicious, and my husband and sons declared them the best Falafel they have ever eaten. And for me, it was even better. They tasted just like I remembered.
Ingredients for Falafel:
yields 40 falafel
1 bag chickpeas, 2 cups
2 large onions, cut into chunks
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of parsley
2 1/12 teaspoons cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
canola oil for frying
White Sauce:
3/4 cup tahini
4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of water
kosher salt
black pepper
Time-Saving Tip: Soak the beans the night before so they are ready to use when you're ready to cook.
Here is how I like to eat my Falafel. It's packed in a pita with lettuce, tomatoes, sliced cucumber and of course lots of white sauce and hot sauce. I couldn't make the sandwiches fast enough because everyone was gobbling them up so quickly. And with a pickle on the side.
Let's see what we need.
We're ready to cook.
Pour the peas into a bowl and cover by a few inches with water. Let sit overnight and drain.
Place the garbanzo beans to a food processor and pulse until they look like breadcrumbs; transfer to a large bowl.
Without cleaning the food processor bowl, add the cut up onions, garlic, parsley, salt, cumin, coriander, baking soda, and juice of half of the lemon. Pulse until finely chopped.
Add the parsley mixture to the chickpeas and combine well. Let rest for one hour.
While the falafel mixture rests, prepare the White Sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small food processor or blender and whiz until smooth—season with salt and pepper.
After an hour, add the garbanzo bean flour to the pea mixture and combine well. Gently form tablespoonfuls into balls and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. The batter will be quite damp but not weepy.
Pour the oil into a large pot, about two inches high. Heat the oil until hot. I like to add a droplet of water to the oil, and when I hear it crackle, the oil is ready. If you try this method, please do not place your face over the pot to look, or else you might get splattered Add a few of the balls at a time, the oil should sizzle. The picture with one uncooked ball the oil is not hot enough; the next sizzling image the oil is good. If the oil isn't hot enough, the falafel will be greasy. Turn the balls as they cook and transfer them to a paper towel-lined dish when browned.
It's ready! This Falafel is looking fantastic. It's perfectly fried, and when dipped into the garlic sauce and that first bite is taken is a flavor sensation. The seasoning is just right, and the garlic tahini sauce is perfect. My first bite brought me back to those great news days at work. These are great for a sandwich, salad, or appetizers. While they're best when just cooked leftovers are great the next day.
Enjoy!
Falafel:
yields 40 falafel
1 bag chickpeas, 2 cups
2 large onions, cut into chunks
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of parsley
2 1/12 teaspoons cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
canola oil for frying
White Sauce:
3/4 cup tahini
4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of water
kosher salt
black pepper
Pour the peas into a bowl and cover by a few inches with water. Let sit overnight and drain. Place the garbanzo beans to a food processor and pulse until they look like breadcrumbs; transfer to a large bowl.
Without cleaning the food processor bowl, add the cut up onions, garlic, salt, parsley, cumin, coriander, baking soda, and juice of half of the lemon. Pulse until finely chopped.
Add the parsley mixture to the chickpeas and combine well. Let rest for one hour.
While the falafel mixture rests, prepare the White Sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small food processor or blender and whiz until smooth—season with salt and pepper. After an hour, add the garbanzo bean flour to the pea mixture and combine well. Gently form tablespoonfuls into balls and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. The batter will be quite damp but not weepy.
Pour the oil into a large pot, about two inches high. Heat the oil until hot. I like to add a droplet of water to the oil, and when I hear it crackle, the oil is ready. If you try this method, please do not place your face over the pot to look, or else you might get splattered Add a few of the balls at a time, the oil should sizzle. The picture with one uncooked ball the oil is not hot enough; the next sizzling image the oil is good. If the oil isn't hot enough, the falafel will be greasy. Turn the balls as they cook and transfer them to a paper towel-lined dish when browned.
Time-Saving Tip: Soak the beans the night before so they are ready to use when your ready to cook.