Foodie Friday #3 - Vegan Friendly Falafel

This tasty recipe is one of my personal favourites! When I first made it, I was pretty nervous as I've never fried anything before, but things turned out fantastic. Served with warmed pita, hummus and tzatziki sauce, this is a savoury feast packed with protein. The trick to this recipe is that it has to be made with dried chickpeas, not canned. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb dry chickpeas

1 med onion quartered

1 lrg potato peeled and quartered

4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 cup parsley leaves chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups vegetable oil

Directions:

Rinse beans under cold water, discard bad ones, and soak for 24 hours. Rinsed again after soaked. 

Place beans, onion and potato in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Place mixture in a large bowl, leaving 1 cup in food processor. Add garlic, parsley and spice to food processor and pulse on low until blended thoroughly. Return beans from bowl into food processor, add lemon juice and olive oil and process into a coarse meal. Return to large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Stir in baking soda and flour until evenly blended. Form mixture into 1 1/2" balls with damp hands.

Pour vegetable oil in wok or deep frying pan so it is 1-2" deep and heat on medium. Cook balls, turning so they are evenly cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Serve hot with fixings.