I Falafel for Love

I love Arabic food, plain & simple. I've been lucky enough to be raised in a city where you will find the most authentic Arabic food outside the Middle East. I ain't lying! I searched for a good falafel recipe and after some tweaking here is what I got. Prepare yourself for the magic of amazing falafel!

Falafel Me Crazy:
adapted from Food People Want

• 1 lb dried garbanzo beans, soaked in water overnight
• 1/2 an onion
  
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 1/2 large bunch of parsley
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• Red pepper flakes
  
• Kosher salt & cayenne pepper to taste
  
• Peanut oil for frying

1. Drain the chick peas from their soaking liquid and put them, along with the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro into a food processor. The rest will be somewhat dry almost meat consistency.
   
2. Add the cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, cayenne and salt to the ground mixture. Stir to distribute the spice and allow the mixture to rest for at least a 1/2 hour at room temperature. Taste a small amount for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
3. With slightly moistened hands, take walnut-sized lumps (about 2 tablespoons) of the rested falafel mixture from the bowl and gently roll into flat, round shapes, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Allow rolled falafel balls to rest at least another 15 minutes at room temperature before frying. I made mine into patties.
   
4. Pour oil into a 4-qt. Dutch oven to a depth of 2″ and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350˚. Working in batches, fry the falafel until they are a dark, rich brown color, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining falafel.
5. Serve the falafel warm or at room temperature.
   

I served mine with rice, garlic dressing & homemade pita bread which you can find the recipe for HERE. Enjoy the delicious-ness!