Chef Cheryl D'Souza - Manitoba Club - January 11, 2016
Serve the crunchy chickpea bites with a spicy harissa yogurt — 2 tablespoons harissa paste stirred into plain Greek yogurt seasoned with salt.
Makes 40 and keeps nicely in the fridge or freezer
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
- 1/2 cup bulgur wheat, soaked in water overnight
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon harissa paste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- vegetable oil, for frying
- Chopped fresh herbs to garnish
Instructions
- Drain the bulgur wheat and chickpeas very well.
- Saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes, until translucent, then set aside to cool.
- In a food processor, combine onion and garlic with chickpeas, bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, cilantro, white sesame seeds, baking powder, cumin, salt, harissa and black pepper.
- Pulse, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula, until the chickpeas are finely minced and everything is well-combined.
- Roll the falafel mixture into chestnut-sized balls or small patties.
- Arrange on a baking tray and chill for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer to 350F, then fry falafel in batches until deep golden-brown — about 3-5 minutes. They go from perfect to burned in just a few seconds, so keep a close eye on them, then remove from fryer and drain on a layer of paper towels.
- Plate by spooning a little of the spicy harissa yogurt onto a plate or serving platter, placing a falafel on top, then topping with a little more of the yogurt and chopped fresh herbs or microgreens.