The Best Falafel ~ this vegan appetizer or main course is crispy on the outside, and brilliant emerald green on the inside!
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried chickpeas
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 small hot chile pepper (I used a Serrano)
- a large handful of parsley, large stems removed (1 packed cup)
- a large handful of cilantro, large stems removed (1 packed cup)
- the zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour, or you can use any alternative flour you like (this is optional)
- vegetable oil for frying
- tahini sauce
- 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- pinch salt
- water for thinning
Instructions
- To soak dried chickpeas, rinse them and then put them in a large bowl. Cover with lots of cold water and soak for 12 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse them, and then measure out 3 cups, which should be about 1 lb. Note, you will have some leftover chickpeas.
- Cut the half onion into quarters and drop into the food processor as the machine is running. Follow with the garlic cloves. Cut the pepper in half and drop that in too.
- Stop the machine and add in the fresh parsley and cilantro. Use lots of herbs, if you need a way to measure, use a firmly packed cup of each. The herbs filled my processor to the top before I processed them. Process the herbs until finely minced. Stop and scrape down the bowl as necessary.
