Falafels Recipe

Falafels
By :-Alyssa Griffeth-

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 Tbs. fresh parsley
• 2 Tbs. fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c.+ flour
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 recipe of Soft pita bread (or store bought pitas-- If you're in a pinch)
• English cucumber slices, quartered
• tomato, diced
• shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
• ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Place chickpeas and onions in a food processor. Pulse until almost smooth. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, red pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until well-blended but not pureed.
2. Remove chickpea mixture and place in a bowl. Sprinkle in the baking powder and flour, and gently mix. Add enough flour so that the dough can form a small ballwithout being too sticky. Refrigerate, covered, while you heat the oil and chop the veggies. Mixture can easily be made several hours ahead of time.
3. Using a small cookie dough scoop sprayed with Pam, form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts (you should have about 16-18 balls). Flattenbetween greased hands, until each ball becomes a 3 inch circle.
4. Heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a deep pan (I always use a candy thermometer to make sure my oil temperature stays consist ant) and fry 1 ball to test.
5. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 5 balls at a time for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels andsprinkle with salt.
6. Stuff warm pita bread with 2-3 falafel balls and all vegetable toppings. Add a generous amount of ranch dressing and serve hot.

The recipe and image were copied directly from cookingalamode