Ingredients:
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Bulgur Wheat or substitute couscous
- 1 Can Chickpeas (19-oz can) drained very well, patted dry with paper towel
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Coriander
- 1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 Cup Onions-finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Cilantro
- 2 tsp. Garlic-minced
- 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
- To Taste Salt, Black Pepper
- As Needed Olive or Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions:
Bring the water to a boil, add the wheat, cover, remove from the heat and let soak for 5 minutes. Drain out any excess water and fluff up into a bowl. Pass the chickpeas through a meat grinder to resemble ground meat. Alternatively, pulse the chickpeas in a food processor, but do not puree fully. Add chick peas to the bowl with the wheat. Heat a saute pan on medium heat and add the cumin and coriander. Cook until the mixture just begins to smoke and becomes aromatic. Add the spices to the bowl along with the bread crumbs, onions, garlic, lemon juice, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together until combined well. Divide into at least four portions and form into patties no less than 3/4” thick. Place patties on a cookie cooling rack and allow to air dry for 30 minutes or more until a crust develops. This insures that the pattie won’t fall apart during cooking.
Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees Farenheit. Fry only about 4 falafel balls at a time to avoid cooling down the oil and reduce oil absorption. Fry for about 3 minutes or until deep golden and heated through. Serve with a yogurt dipping sauce, cucumber salad or enjoy as a sandwich on pita bread. Enjoy!
