falafel is a Middle Eastern food originating in Egypt, and is now an iconic part of Israeli cuisine. I am not exactly sure why out of over two hundred recipes in O'Bien's book, I happened to choose two middle eastern dishes, but I digress. the main ingredient in falafels is either chick peas, or fava beans, or a combination of both, and both are gluten free. chickpeas are high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. unfortunately many falafel recipes and most mixes use wheat flour. additionally, the falafels are typically served inside a pita bread pocket, which is obviously not safe for people on a gluten free diet.
if you are craving your beloved falafels, or would like to try them for the first time, you can try a gluten free falafel mix, such as OrgraN Falafel Mix, Fantastic Foods Falafel Mix, or Authentic Foods Falafel Mix. however, you can also make them on your own from scratch! (come on... you can do it!)
O'Brien's book includes two recipes, one for the falafels on page 89, and one for the falafel sauce on page 188.
the falafels:
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained, but reserve juice
1/4 cup quinoa flour (I got mine at Whole Foods)
1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari sauce (try San-J brand)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
there are two ways you can cook the falafels, in the oven, or in a deep fryer. I tried both, and I have to say I preferred the deep fried version, the outer crust was just so crispy, and the inside was nice and soft. the oven method was good too, but a little more consistent in the cooked texture between inside and outside. the deep fryer that I have is by Waring Pro, which has been great, but this smaller version would actually be perfect since it is deeper than it is long, better deep frying proportions in my opinion.
directions:
if you are going to cook in the oven, set your oven to 350°F. in a large frying pan heat one tablespoon of oil and saute the onion until soft, then add the parsley and garlic and keep cooking for another minute. in a blender or food processor, combine the rest of the ingredients (except the remaining oil) and blend. next I added the sauted onions mixture and blended again.
if you are cooking in the oven, then form your the falafel mixture into patties and place on a greased baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes each side, 30 minutes total. if you are using a deep fryer, form your mixture into one inch balls and drop into the hot oil. I did not time them, but when the outside crust is dark golden brown, they should be ready.
obviously pita bead shells are out of the question for holding your falafels, unless you can buy or make gluten free pita bread. I decided to follow O'Brien's recommendation to make lettuce wraps. I bought fresh organic butter lettuce and added a few falafel balls, and lots of falafel sauce! you can garnish with more of your chopped fresh herbs. you could also try making a wrap using gluten free tortillas, I like the Food For Life brand. this recipe makes approximately four servings.
here is the recipe for the falafel sauce:
1/2 cup water
1 cup sesame tahini
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup lemon juice, use freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon chopped parsely
dash of fresh ground pepper
place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.
this seems like a lot of work, but believe me you are going to love these! my husband and I kept half of the wet falafel mix in the fridge over night and deep fried the next day for another round of yummy gluten free falafels! enjoy! Andrea.
get the book | susan o'brien | benefits of chickpeas
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3 comments:
I've been missing falafels terribly - thanks for this!
Mine fell apart in the hot fat... what did I do wrong?
Sorry to hear that. I am not sure what to say, how did you put them in the oil? Were you using a deep fryer, or a frying pan? Deep oil helps, and I used a metal spoon for mine and gently rolled them into the oil. You can use a metal ladel for example, and hold the ladel in the oil for a few seconds until the falafel starts to crisp and form, then you can let them go. Do them one at a time. Was your falafel mixture too dry?
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