SuperNaturale

ninjaTRON · Posted: May 21, 2012 9:21 pm Post subject: help de-fail my falafel..

glitter!

i ambitiously tried to make falafel. except also i was trying to learn spanish from a tape at the same time. this == not paying attention..

i put chickpeas, garlic, white onions, green chilies, cilantro, cumin and salt into my food processor. instead of "chopping" everything, i sort of made... hummous..ish. its pasty. its delicious, whatever it is.. but not falafel mix.

i tried pan frying it and it fell apart into.. crumbly.. crumbs.

i really want falafel. should i?
a. just suck it up and eat it like hummous
b. add baking powder and try to bake it?
c. something else?!

halp!

TRON

PS Mi falafel no funciono (yes?)
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killr · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 1402

I had this same exact fail! You must use dry garbanzo beans that have been soaked overnight. You cannot use canned.

also it helps to form the patties, then stick them in the fridge for at least 1 hour before frying.

silverfish2007 · Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 2060

The recipe I use has a little flour in it. And canned chick peas.
It's the Moosewood Cookbook recipe (but I bake mine). It's pretty readily available online if you google.
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IrmaVep · Posted: May 22, 2012 4:56 am Post subject:

I use canned chick peas too.

Try adding Bulghar (sp?) wheat (soak it a bit first). I always add that when I make it from scratch for texture.

I form mine into patties and bake it. Recently realised that it is much better if you put it on baking paper to bake it too, then you don't need any oil.

WorkAndPlay · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 5649 Location: Amsterdam!

I use canned chickpeas, but I mash them with a potato masher instead of processing them. That way the mixture remains more chunky. If it won't hold together I'll use a little flour (or even chickpea flour) to bind it. Bread or cracker crumbs work too. Since canned chickpeas are quite wet, I almost always need to use a binder. With dried chickpeas you get a bit more control over how firm (and thus not-soggy) they stay.
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ninjaTRON · Posted: May 23, 2012 11:15 am Post subject:

Fixed!!!
I mixed my falafel...paste... with chickpea flour (lots), made balls and rolled them
in cornmeal and then pan fried them! They taste awesome and are crispy on the outside!!

Hooray!!

TRON
_________________
"Joy gives us wings! In times of joy our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our understanding less clouded."
-Abdu'l Baha, The Baha'i Faith

daircroi · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2079 Location: West.

I'm sorry, I just have to say it--did nobody else think "FALAFAIL!!"
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chickenhawk · Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Posts: 214

Lolz at FALAFAIL!

I know I'm a little late to the party (and it sounds like you fixed them deliciously) but this chef I worked with once had us push canned chickpeas through the grater disc on the food processor. This made the mixture fluffier and less paste-like, probably not unlike W&P's potato masher. It was a true revelation for this girl, hopefully to be revisited soon.