Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Reluctant Housewife Part 2

And so my quest for Martha Stewart-like perfection continues...today we make falafel and live to tell about it.

Recipe:
  • 2 cups chick peas
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • oil for deep frying

Directions (and Revisions)
1. Cover chickpeas in water and soak overnight (or hello, use store bought, make life a little easier)
2. Drain and place in food processor and blend until finely ground
3. Add onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of water, then process until a rough paste, leave covered for 30min (why? you ask, I don't know, maybe to let the baking powder work its magic)
4. Using your hands, shape heaped tablespoons of the falafel mixture onto even sized balls. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
5. Fill a large heavy based saucepan one third full of oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds. Lower the falafel balls into the oil and cook in bathces of five for 3-4 minutes, or until well browned all over. Remove the falafel with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Okay if you know me, you know I didn't deep fry anything. And not because I don't enjoy a good greasy basket of french fries from the local pub (that's Flowing Tide for you Reno people searching for the best bar food around) but cause deep frying anything scares the beejezus out of me! I baked these at 350 for ten/fifteen minutes.

Review:
These little guys baked (instead of fried) taste basically like hummus with a baked over shell. Appetizing? Not necessarily. Go the old fashioned route and deep fry the suckers!

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