Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Hana Novak Demo- Makes
- 24 patties · about 1 kg
- Active
- 19 min
- Total
- 19 h 50 min
You’ll Need Food processor, Medium heavy saucepan, Slotted spoon or spider, Instant-read thermometer (optional)
Method
Falafel
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A day ahead, put and in a large bowl with water covering them by at least 5 cm (2 in). Soak until a chickpea is tender enough to bite through, adding more time if they are still hard.
about doubled in sizeyou can bite through one easily, though it is still raw -
Drain the chickpeas completely and pat them dry with a towel.
-
Put the chickpeas in the food processor with , , , , , , , , and . Run it in bursts of about , scraping down in between, until evenly ground.
like coarse, damp sand flecked with greenit holds together when squeezed -
Transfer to a container, cover tightly and refrigerate.
Safe to pause here -
Just before frying, stir and into the mixture with a spoon.
-
With wet hands, scoop tablespoons of the mix and shape them into patties about 1.2 cm (½ in) thick. Makes about 24 patties.
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Pour into a medium heavy saucepan to a depth of 7.5 cm (3 in) and heat it over medium-high heat.
a scrap of the mix dropped in bubbles steadily and rises to the top -
Fry the patties in batches without crowding the pan until crisp and medium brown all over.
crisp, medium brown crustthey float and the bubbling slows -
Lift them out into a colander or onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve hot.
Tahini Sauce
-
Crush with in a mortar into a paste, or grate the garlic finely and mix it with the salt.
-
Blend the garlic paste, and in the food processor; it will seize and thicken as it emulsifies. Add a little at a time, blending, until it is as thick or thin as you like.
smooth and pale, the consistency of a pourable dressing for drizzling -
Taste and adjust with more juice or salt, then stir in .
Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Serve
-
Serve the falafel hot with the tahini sauce, either on a platter with small plates of , and , or stuffed into with and a generous drizzle of sauce.
From Hana Novak
Raw soaked chickpeas are the whole secret: ground with a big handful of parsley, cilantro and dill, they hold together on their own and fry up crunchy outside and light and green inside. Canned or cooked chickpeas are too wet and soft, and the falafel fall apart in the oil.
Notes
- Dried chickpeas only. Do not use canned or cooked chickpeas; the mixture will be mushy and will not hold its shape.
- Soak long enough. About 18 hours with a little baking soda; if they are still hard when you bite one, soak them longer. Dry them well before grinding.
- Chill the mix for at least an hour (or overnight) so it firms up, and add the baking powder and sesame seeds only just before frying.
- Wet your hands to shape the patties so the mix does not stick.
- Fry in batches, without crowding the pan, so the oil stays hot and the crust gets crisp.
- Tahini sauce: taste it and adjust with more citrus juice and salt. Thin it with more water for drizzling or keep it thick as a dip.
- To serve: tuck the falafel into warm pita with tahini sauce, arugula, tomato, cucumber and pickles, or serve as part of a mezze spread.
Storage
Falafel are best hot from the oil. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat in a hot oven to crisp them. Tahini sauce keeps 2 to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Make Ahead
The uncooked falafel mixture keeps overnight in the fridge (add the baking powder and sesame just before frying), or shape the patties and freeze them on a tray, then bag them for up to a month.
When to Start
Plan backwards from a time
Filed under Main · Middle East · Legumes · Deep Frying · Falafel. Tags: #street food, #vegan.
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