Falafel Help
I want to make homemade falafel, but I'm really nervous about it. Does anyone have any tips? I've found a recipe that's simple enough, but I always get antsy trying to make an unfamiliar ethnic food from scratch for the first time.
Also, once they're fried up, should I put them in pita or a flour tortilla? Tzatziki sauce, hummus or both? What fix-ins?
Thanks!
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11 Comments:
It is easier than it sounds. Just make the mix, and then fry it in either balls or patties. A little flour on the outside helps when patting it out.
I serve with pita or chapatis bread, but I am sure tortillas would be fine too if you like it. I like to have hummus AND tzatziki AND raita with mint...so I can mix and match.
Tomato slices, cucumber, crisp lettuce or spinach, sprouts, olives, or whatever veggies sound good to you.
I actually like falafel better cold, so I love making enough for some the next day at lunch. Yum!
sadiepix at 12:35AM on 01/30/09
You may want to check this thread from a couple of weeks ago. Good luck!
brooke29 at 12:44AM on 01/30/09
@ sadie I love it cold too! I dont put mine in anything, just plop it on a plate and devour with tzaki yummm I've also been known to make mine small enough that I can sneak one in the middle ofthe night without needing a plate, just a quick skip through the sauce and into the mouth. (little helpful hints)
huneybumper at 8:32AM on 01/30/09
Here is the recipe I use. There is a link there for the original recipe (found on epicurious), but I bake mine instead of frying, and given the blogger who posted it is South Beach inclined, 'my' recipe uses whole wheat flour, but it's not much of a difference.
You can't really screw it up. Pita or a GOOD flour tortilla would be fine, I've also baked the falafel in crumbles instead of balls or patties and used them to make a nice hearty dinner salad. Given that falafel is chickpeas, hummus might be a little chickpea overkill, but tzatziki is my favorite dressing for this, and the link I posted has a recipe for a lemon tahini dressing as well.
For fixins, I just do spinach and/or baby greens, cucumber slices, and thick slices of tomato. Also an excellent baby step towards less meat-heavy meals for meat & potatoes type folks - it's quite filling.
joyyy at 10:13AM on 01/30/09
I've always preferred the green falafel, and from what I understand, those are made using fava beans, so you may want to try to find a recipe that centers on those, or just try substituting them. You can find them frozen in bags in some markets, although they can be elusive. I think their texture is better. And whatever you put on them, make sure to use some harissa, and maybe tahini to top off the sandwich. I always put them in white pita, or, if you can find them, pita wraps, which are even better. A little homemade version of Israeli salad with cucumbers and scallions finely diced and mixed with some tahini and lemon juice would be great, and you can make the harissa into a creamy sauce if you mix it with a bit of mayonnaise and some creme fraiche or sour cream. Enjoy! Falafel are amazing.
Kerry Saretsky at 11:22AM on 01/30/09
Falafel is really really simple. Don't fret. I love to eat them in a pita with lettuce, tomato, dill pickle slices, banana peppers and a lemon-tahini dressing.
Jennefur at 11:31AM on 01/30/09
@Kerry - green falafel is often made using lots of parsley, just like red falafel is made using lots of sweet paprika. You can, of course, make falafel using fava beans though - in Egypt, it's traditionally made from dried fava beans, and some make it from a combination of fava beans and chickpeas as well.
brooke29 at 11:36AM on 01/30/09
I love falafel... I eat them inside a pita with tomatoes, cucumber, maybe even some lettuce all dressed lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and vinegar. Some yogurt sauce or tahini on the side. That's how I learned to eat them in Israel.
I also order them at Middle Eastern restaurants to eat with Rice Pilaf and their tomato/cucumber salad. It's my vegetarian combination plate.
I tend to eat Hummus separately because I think its an overkill - to eat chickpeas in Hummus with chickpeas in Falafel.
MadelynRodriguez at 12:50PM on 01/30/09
I also used the recipe from Epicurius. It's a good one. I wrote a post about my first falafel-making experience - about a year ago. If you're interested, here's where you can find it:
http://girlcookinparis.blogspot.com /search/label/Recipes
I showed a few pictures of some of the steps & wrote a few conclusions about what I learned....fyi! Good luck & it's really easy to do at the end of the day! And so good!!
girlcookinparis at 11:12PM on 01/30/09
Go for it -- you'll never look back. They're simple and easily better than any you find in your local restaurant. I love Mark Bittman's recipe. Put in pita w/chopped romaine, tomatoes, tahini sauce, and hot sauce!
jbeach at 10:31AM on 02/03/09
I actually had one in the Israeli district in Paris and honestly, it was the best thing I've had since I moved to France. I can't remember what all the had for fixings, but I know that a ridiculous over the top delicious grilled eggplant was in it along with some kind of cabbage slaw type deal.
I dream about that falafel.
meg3j at 10:56AM on 02/03/09