Being that half my life is in Israel, Falafel became more than just a stuffed Pita. It's love. It's that boy feeding his leftover fries to a stray cat, it's that soldier stuffing his mouth after being on base for a month straight, it's the generosity of the Falafel fryer giving out free Falafel balls to the patient hungry customers waiting to be served. Falafel is Israel.
On a less dramatic note, it's also extremely healthy; baked.
Garbanzo Beans like all legumes, are packed with protein and a whole bunch of other great things that I would love to share (since I am a nerd), but then this would be a blog about properties behind food and not actual recipes. So, we will save that for another time, BUT Garbanzo Beans=Good for you. EAT THEM.
Generously Serves 6.
What You'll Need:
For the Laffa's:
Makes 16 Mini Laffa's.
For the Laffa's:
Makes 16 Mini Laffa's.
- 1 Tsp Dry Active Yeast
- 2 1/2 Cups Tepid Water
- 5-6 Cups Flour
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
For those of you that are afraid of yeast, don't be. It really is simple once you get the hang of it.
In a large bowl stir your water and yeast with a spoon (I like using a wooden spoon) stirring in one direction. Now we're going to add half of our flour (2 1/2 cups) one cup at a time while you continue stirring in one direction for about 3 minutes. Your mixture should look smooth and silky. At this point your mixture should be left to rest covered in plastic wrap in a cool place for a minimum of 30 mins up to 8-9 hours. The more you let it rest, the more flavor your Laffa's will have. (secretly I rarely have time for resting myself, so why should my dough?;)) Once your dough has rested stir in your Salt and Olive Oil. Stirring in one direction add the rest of your flour one cup at a time. Once your dough is too stiff to stir with a spoon put on some floured gloves and let your hands do the rest of the work. Knead until nicely smooth and elastic. Place dough into oiled bowl and let dough rise in room temperature for 2-3 hours. Once risen separate into equal parts and shape dough into tight balls. Heat up your skillet (you might need to wipe down with a tiny drop of oil). Flatten your dough and place on skillet one at a time for about 3 minutes on each side.
In a large bowl stir your water and yeast with a spoon (I like using a wooden spoon) stirring in one direction. Now we're going to add half of our flour (2 1/2 cups) one cup at a time while you continue stirring in one direction for about 3 minutes. Your mixture should look smooth and silky. At this point your mixture should be left to rest covered in plastic wrap in a cool place for a minimum of 30 mins up to 8-9 hours. The more you let it rest, the more flavor your Laffa's will have. (secretly I rarely have time for resting myself, so why should my dough?;)) Once your dough has rested stir in your Salt and Olive Oil. Stirring in one direction add the rest of your flour one cup at a time. Once your dough is too stiff to stir with a spoon put on some floured gloves and let your hands do the rest of the work. Knead until nicely smooth and elastic. Place dough into oiled bowl and let dough rise in room temperature for 2-3 hours. Once risen separate into equal parts and shape dough into tight balls. Heat up your skillet (you might need to wipe down with a tiny drop of oil). Flatten your dough and place on skillet one at a time for about 3 minutes on each side.
For the Falafel Balls:
- 3 Cups Dry Garbanzo Beans (Soak in water overnight)
- 1 Cup Fresh Parsley
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- Salt + Black Pepper to Taste (to your liking)
- Water
- Olive Oil
- TIP: 1 Small bag of Falafel flavored BISLI (optional, it's a trick I learned from my friends Mom when I was about five years old. If your looking for something more diet friendly, omit.
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F.
Once your Garbanzo Beans have been soaked, place in a large bowl with the rest of your ingredients. We are going to split the ingredients into 3 parts so that your food processor doesn't heat up and get stuck. Process until blended but not pureed. (I had to add about half a cup of water to mine, go with half a cup, if you see you need more, add a bit more. It should have a consistency that is manageable) You can taste a bit before cooking in case you are missing anything. The joy of cooking Vegan :) Prepare two baking sheets (I use a sheet of parchment paper on top), spread some olive oil onto your sheets, and start forming (1' thick and 2' wide) and placing your Falafel balls onto sheet.
Into the oven they go, once the bottom is golden you can flip the balls so the other side gets equal loving. (Some ovens don't need flipping) Bake for about 30 mins or until nice and golden.
Serve with light Israeli Salad and Tahini.
In the photo above, I served my Falafel with a Tomato Salad and a Cabbage Slaw using the same dressing as written below. The Israeli Salad is more traditional, both yummy, Your choice :)
Israeli Salad:
- 6 Cucumbers
- 4 Tomatoes
- 1/2 Purple Onion
- 1/3 Cup Chopped Parsley/Cilantro (optional)
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 1 Tsp Olive Oil
- Juice of 1 Big Lemon
- Salt + Pepper to Taste
Chop your vegetables nice and small, add your Salt, Black Pepper, Lemon and Olive Oil, combine.
Tahini:
- 1/2 Cup Tahini Paste
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Tsp Salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley/Cilantro or both (optional or just use flakes)
- 1/4 Cup Cold Water
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Clove Crushed Garlic
In a large ball combine all your ingredients until you get a nice smooth texture. (Add water if needed)
No comments:
Post a Comment