Falfel:
- 1 lb dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1tsp Ginger
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour or chickpea flour
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- Vegetable oil for frying
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well. Pour them into your food processor, chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour, or chickpea flour (use chickpea flour to make gluten-free), salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom. Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process until the mixture is between the couscous texture and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together and have a more paste-like consistency. Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Fill a cast iron skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inch. I prefer cooking oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat.
The salad is a simple salad with coarsely chopped parsley with cucumbers, tomatoes, vegan feta cheese, and lightly sprinkled fresh lemon juice.
