FALAFEL

Falafel image

Provided by annh53182

Time 35m

Yield 20 pieces

Number Of Ingredients 15

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15 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying)
1 tomatoes, chopped for garnish
1/4 large onion, diced for garnish
1/2 green bell pepper, diced for garnish
2 1/2 whole wheat pita bread

Steps:

Place onion, garlic and pepper flakes in food processor. Pulse until they're about 1/8-in. big.
Add beans, parsley, and cilantro and chop until "pieces are about the size of a large pinhead." You don't want a puree here. (Thanks, dickrebel.).
Dump the items from the food processor into a bowl. Stir in salt, cumin, baking powder and flour until well-mixed., but not really a dough.
Stick it in the fridge, covered, for anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. The longer the better. (I did it for an hour, and turned out nicely.).
With your hands, make small falafel hockey pucks about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter and ¾ of an inch high. (The flat surface will help with the frying.).
Turn oven to 400ºF.
Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a huge ovenproof skillet on medium-high. Fry the pucks for about 3 minutes on the first side, and 2 minutes on the second, until they're golden brown.
When finished, stick skillet in oven (or transfer pucks to a Pam-ed aluminum foil lined cookie sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Stick four balls in half a pita with tomatoes, green pepper, and onions. Drizzle with tahini sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 71.3, Fat 1.8, SaturatedFat 0.2, Sodium 239.5, Carbohydrate 11.9, Fiber 1.5, Sugar 0.8, Protein 2.1