Falafel Patties and Tahini Sauce

     I don't make falafel's very often but when I do, I am reminded of how good a fresh falafel is! I also do not fry foods often but this is one exception to my rule where I feel the end result is best. There are recipes that make falafel's using canned beans. Often these are suggested as being a quicker way to make a falafel. In my opinion, you are only saving the time it takes to soak the dried beans. What you sacrifice in this time saving convenience is the texture of the falafel. When you use canned beans the texture is different because the starch is changed from cooking the bean, resulting in a softer texture and not the delightful crunchy texture you get when starting with dried beans. 

With some advanced planning of your time the method I am going to show you is so easy!! The hardest part will be in waiting to eat them! The planning of your time in advance involves, soaking the beans over night, chilling the ground mixture for a few hours (or while you are at work) and when it is time to cook, you need less than 30 minutes to shape and fry the falafel patties.

This is one meal all my family enjoys. It even got the kids approval! I enjoy using the patties in a variety of ways. My favorite is to just add them to a salad.

 My favorite- Falafel Patties on salad with 

Tahini dressing (thinned down Tahini sauce)

Falafel Patties 

Makes about 24- 2” patties

You can half or double this recipe.
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans, 1/2 of a 1 lb. bag)

1 cup onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled

½ cup parsley or cilantro

1 t. cumin powder

½ t. coriander powder

½ t. salt

½ t. baking soda (helps dry and crisp the falafel)

Pinch of red chili pepper (optional)

3-4 T. coconut oil*

*I prefer to use coconut oil for cooking these because it has a high smoke point and adds a nice flavor. Another option would be safflower oil which also does well with high heat.

Directions:

1. Place the dried garbanzo beans in a large bowl. Cover with enough water so that the water level is 2 inches above the beans. Let the beans sit on your counter over night or for at least 8 hours. The beans will swell up double their size.

2. Drain the beans, rinse them and dry them in a towel. Place the beans and remaining ingredients, except the oil, in the bowl of a large food processor. If you have a small food processor then work in batches. Grind the mixture, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. You don’t want the mixture to be coarse or it will fall apart when you fry it. Nor are you trying to create a paste. You want it to be like a wet bread crumb texture. Press the back of a spoon into the mixture. If it holds the spoons indent then it is ready. If your mixture is a little wet, add 1-2 T. flour.

3. Transfer the mixture to a medium sized bowl. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1-2 hours. Chilling the mixture helps prevent them from falling apart during cooking.

4. Take 2 T. of the mixture and shape into ½” patties. Set patties on a baking sheet until ready to cook. I'm using a coffee scoop that measures 2 tablespoons. If you are making these for an appetizer you may want to do 1 tablespoon scoops.

5. To cook:

In a medium skillet add 3 T. coconut oil, heat the oil on medium high heat. Use a slotted spatula to pick up the patties from the baking sheet and a fork to gently slide them into the hot oil. You’ll want to cook in batches, leaving a little space between patties. Add another tablespoon of oil if needed.

Note: I am using the medium skillet because it allows me to use less oil. The oil doesn't have to spread out to far and cover a lot of surface, giving just enough depth for frying. I used a total of 4 T. coconut oil when I cooked and 2 T. was left in the pan when I was done. With the coconut oil I also did not have the typical oil splatter that goes with frying.

Cook about 1-2 minutes pure side, until you see the bottom and side turning golden brown. Carefully turn the patties over and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a plate lined with a couple layers of paper towel.

Serve with Tahini sauce (click link for recipe) - in pita bread sandwiches, on salad, as a snack or appetizer. You can make the Tahini sauce in advance also and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.