26 April 2008

My Favourite Falafel Revisited

My Favourite Falafe


This month for the Taste & Create event I was paired with the very talented Elizabeth from my old stomping grounds Toronto, Ontario. They are experiencing some enviable summer-like weather for this Greek Orthodox long weekend. We are having some nice weather this weekend as well but I am not headed to the beach as yet. I haven't even tried on my shorts yet this season. It was very easy to choose a dish from E's blog Blog From Our Kitchen , because we have such similar tastes in food. Nicole (aka Myamii) is the brainchild of the Taste & Create event. Each month you are paired with a fellow blogger. You choose a recipe from their site and recreate the dish in your own kitchen. Nicole is a talented and busy American mom blogging from Germany with her blog For the Love of Food .

This month I chose Bacon Wrapped Chicken Logs from Elizabeth's blog. This is their original version here. You can read about that in my previous post.



Elizabeth and her husband decided to make my favourite falafel recipe. Their version of this mainstay is here . They say this has now become their favourite falafel recipe so I am glad that they found something they enjoyed enough to continue to prepare. I love this falafel but love the goat cheese sauce of this recipe as well. These recipes are very versatile because you can adjust the recipe however you like by combining your favourite spices or omitting others. This is a falafel recipe that does require frying in oil, while the recipe for Falafel with Goat Cheese Sauce bakes them in the oven. Both recipes are excellent so I will leave that up to you. Then of course I also tried Ricardo Lerrivee's Falafel with Tarator Bi Tahina Sauce which was incredible as well!!!

You can serve your falafel with harrisa, goat cheese sauce, tahini or as I did in this case with tzadziki; in a pita, naan bread or on its own. Whatever choice you make you will love the combination of flavours!!!

**My Favourite Falafel**

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (or 1 use 1 tsp dried coriander, which I prefer)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chick pea stock (from soaking the chickpeas)
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 - 6 tablespoons flour
soybean or vegetable oil for frying
pita breads, tops cut off (naan bread can also be substituted)
diced onion, diced tomatoes
tzatziki sauce, harissa or tahini

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, drain reserving 1 T chickpea stock.Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro or coriander, alt, hot pepper, chick pea stock, garlic and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 T of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough of the flour so that dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered for several hours.

Form the mixture into 12 patties. Dust lightly with flour and fry in hot oil, turning frequently until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels.Put a patty in a pita pocket, top with sauce, diced tomatoes and onions.

**Harissa**

1/2 lb red chilies, stemmed, seeded, chopped
6 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon caraway
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
olive oil

Place peppers and garlic in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add remaining ingredients except the olive oil and process until smooth. To store, place in a small jar, top with a thin layer of olive oil and refrigerator until ready to use.

**Goat Cheese Sauce**

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup (2-oz) soft (log style) goat cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 small garlic clove, minced

Combine yogurt, goat cheese, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1 minced garlic clove, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

**Tarator Bi Tahina Sauce**

Juice of one lemon
30 ml (2 tablespoons) tahini (sesame paste)
1 clove garlic, chopped
15 ml (1 tablespoon) Dijon mustard
5 ml (1 teaspoon) toasted sesame oil
1 egg yolk
180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
Water, about 45 ml (1 T)
Salt and pepper

In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, mustard, sesame oil and egg yolk. While whisking constantly, add the vegetable oil in a thin stream, alternating with the water. Season with salt and pepper.





You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
Best Blogger Tips

21 comments:

  1. Oh Val this falafel recipe looks great. I am always searching for a better on then the one I use and this may be it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Val, despite my vegetarian overload of late...I'd still munch on this in two bites...excuse the burp!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those falafels covered in the creamy sauce look so good. Those sauces all sound tasty. Now I want to try making falafels even more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have never made my own falafel before, but have always wanted to. This sounds like a great recipe to start with!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love making falafel, though I usually use a mix and doctor it up a bit. I've also made them with dried fava beans.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now I have to try your falafel version. I like falafel in the middle of the week for a quick dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Falafal is my all time favorite thing to eat. I first had it when one of our profs from Jordan brought it to one of our functions....I convinced his wife to teach me how to make them. I went thru a lesson, but I haven't been able to perfect it the way she did.....yet.

    Your recipe is much like hers!

    ReplyDelete
  8. It would take a lot of persuading to get my husband to try falafel, but this yummy recipe might do the trick. It looks fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Val this falafel looks soo good!!and I like the creamy sauce!! x Gloria

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have been working on a falafel recipe and you have given me some great ideas. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Falafel has always been my all time favourite street food, with lots of sauce and plenty of salady things. Great picture on the falafel.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm not a big falafel fan, but my husband loves them. His birthday is next week. Maybe I'll surprise him with these. They look great.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never made falafel before - this sounds fab! I'm going to check out the baked version now!

    ReplyDelete
  14. The thing aboiut falafel recipes is that they can be tweaked Judy.
    I excuse you Peter:D
    Try them Kevin & Deborah they are just so darn good:D

    The mixes are actually quite good Lydia.I always have leftovers Helene, they do make a nice meal any old time:D
    I have tried many recipes Shelby and love them all:D
    Your husband doesn't know what he is missing Lynn. My husband doesn't like them either, but it the coriander.
    The sauce is so good Gloria, I especially like the feta cheese sauce:D
    Glad to help Beth:D
    I wish I could have falafel street food on the streets of Morroco or Lebanon Susan!!!!
    Give it a try Kittie:D

    ReplyDelete
  15. I know what you mean about "vegetarian overload", Peter M, but falafel don't count. Especially these ones.

    Val, I know what you mean about the goat's cheese sauce. I think it's a required accompaniment as well.

    We're having your falafels AGAIN tonight for dinner. They're too good. This time we're going to experiment and try baking a couple of them to see what happens.

    -Elizabeth, just heading off to mix pita dough

    ReplyDelete
  16. Your falafel recipe is just perfect. I must try your goat's cheese sauce!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. i feel like crying every time i miss this event lol ; i really need to get my butt in gear

    great falafel's sweetie- it's on the agenda to make

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh WOW Val your falafel recipe looks SO good!!

    Rosie x

    ReplyDelete
  19. Looks excellent. I have never done falafel but I want to try it now.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Val, your are getting better and better with your pictures... this one is sooooooo good :D

    ReplyDelete
  21. I would definitely have mine with the goat cheese sauce, sounds delicious.

    All your posts look wonderful!

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

This blog uses comment moderation therefore SPAMMERS, SELF-PROMOTERS and ADVERTISERS will be deleted.