Eco-Photo

Ken and I do not see ourselves as experts on making falafel, but we have to say, “We LOVE this recipe!”.  It’s been adapted from a youtube video by Mimi.  I thought Ken was CRAZY when he said he was only getting his recipes from youtube, but I have to admit sometimes it’s easier to watch someone make a dish rather than trying to read the instructions. We’d love to have more ideas for what to do with sprouted beans, so if you have your own favorites, please respond to this post or drop me an email.

Here’s Ken’s recipe:

This was the first falafel recipe i had seen that had a TON of fresh herbs and spices; so good for you, i had to try it. One of the secrets of falafel is the texture of using un-cooked beans; we kick it up a notch by spouting our uncooked beans.

This is a double batch (makes 50 falafel balls the size of golf ball). I’m lazy, so I like to make a ton and freeze half of it (uncooked) for later.

Ingredients:
4 cups dried chickpeas, sprouted for about 2 days
2 bunches fresh parsley
2 bunches fresh cilantro
1 to 2 cups minced red onion
8 cloves fresh garlic (crushed)
4 T cumin seed
4 T cumin ground
2 T coriander seed
2 T coriander ground
2 T salt
2 t fresh ground black pepper
note : “T” = tablespoon and “t” = teaspsoon
note : vary the spices as you wish: more/less of what you desire

Instructions:
Combine spouted beans (uncooked), cilantro, parley, onion and garlic in large bowl and mince with immersion/hand blender.
Do in batches if you have small bowl.
Add all spices and mix thoroughly.
Be patient; the goal is to achieve a final consistency that you can form into balls with your hands like playdough.
The balls will be a lovely greenish brown due to the fresh herbs.

Make aprox 50 balls from the mixture the size of a golf ball by squishing and rolling in your hands (great for kids and good zen practice!).
Place on a large tray or cooking sheet.

To freeze 25 for a rainy day:
Place half the balls on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 30 mins, when they are hard, remove from cookie sheet and place in ziploc freezer bag(s).

To fry up 25 falafel balls:
Heat peanut oil to 300 degrees.
Use enough oil to cover the falafel ball in a pot as big as you like depending on your time vs how many balls you want to make.
Deep fry for 1.5 to 2 mins then turn with tongs or slotted spoon.
Then deep fry for 1.5 to 2 mins more.
The goal is a nice dark brown color and a crunchy texture.

For reference : I use a small 6 inch pot with an inch of oil and cook 3 falafel balls at a time with a thermometer.

Do the math : 25 falafel balls divided by 3 = 8.3 batches x 3 mins a batch =  a total of 25 minutes frying time.

So, fry for half an hour and you got falafel all week plus half to go in the freezer for another week.
Note : I like to save the oil for frying future falafel. It’s fine to use for 3 times or say 3 months?

Serving instructions for lovers:
Grill 2 pita breads with butter, garlic salt, dried dill, and paprika.
Take 3 falafels and break in half.
Place 1.5 balls on each pita.
Top with any of the following: fresh tomoatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, tzaki sauce, tahini sauce, feta
add a squeeze of fresh lemon and/or hot sauce if desired.
Enjoy.

I often go to Jamie Kitzrow’s Spring Hill Farm booth at the Portland Farmer’s Market. His vegetables always look healthy and beautiful and everything is organic. His farm is just like his booth - very neat rows of crops spread over many acres of beautiful, dark earth.  I was amazed to hear that Jamie grows around 80 types of vegetables each year. At the time I took these photos (November) he was harvesting kale, turnips, greens and onions which were just sprouting. While talking to Jamie about his current growing season and the stringent process of being organically certified I had an a-ha moment. He pulls a baby turnip out of the ground – the same type of turnip I had just eaten the day before – and I was instantly reminded of my very first time in the darkroom watching a print appear on the paper in the developing bath.  The two experiences had the same sense of “magic”. Instead of creating a print, I could create a delicious piece of food by planting a seed into the earth. Jamie says he is still amazed by the process, too.