Falafel – The Opposite of How These Will Make You Feel

Unlike most of America's other favorite fast foods, falafel is rarely attempted at home, which is a shame, since it's very simple to do, and even a relative novice like me can get some very decent results. One word of warning: you do need to know you're going to have a craving for this a full day before you actually want to eat it.

Whipping up a batch of these after a late night at the bar is not going to work, since soaking the dry beans overnight is a crucial step. While you can use canned beans for this, word on the street is not to do it. Those are cooked, and apparently just aren't as good.

As you'll see, you don't really need a deep fryer to do this, as they pan-fry quite nicely, but the model you see me using has some advantages. In addition to being less messy, a small fryer lets you achieve the precise temperature, which means your food crisps up perfectly, while absorbing virtually none of the fat. People have done studies, measuring the oil before-and-after frying, and when done properly, it's remarkable how little oil is used.

No matter what method you use to cook yours, I think you'll be surprised how close this is to your favorite falafel stand, assuming they used the exact ingredients and amounts I did, which may not be the case. So, be sure to taste and adjust until you get it just right. I really hope you get this try very soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 12 falafel balls:

• 1 cup dried garbanzo beans aka chickpeas
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 rounded tablespoon flour
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• - Fry at 350°F for about 5 minutes or until browned and crispy