One of the best things about moving to New York is the opportunity to try all types of food I've never had before, much less even heard of. One of the things I had never experienced before moving was falafels. Well, now I'm head over forks for them - between my many visits to Crisp, and my vegetarian experiment, I can't get enough of them. I've even got a famous street vendor near my place in Queens ( King of Falafel ) and a co-worker highly recommends ( Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant ).
(tonight's dinner - falafels with feta cheese, pita, and store
bought tzatziki. Don't fear the store bought stuff - saves
time and money.)Here's an easy recipe:
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
· one 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
· one medium onion, finely chopped
· one tablespoon minced garlic
· two tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
· one teaspoon coriander
· three-quarters teaspoon cumin
· one-half teaspoon salt
· two tablespoons flour
· oil for frying (canola or vegetable)
Preparation: Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour and combine well. Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (2-5 minutes).