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Jig-Inducing Falafel Burgers

From "The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook" by Kim O'Donnel Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group.  Copyright 2010.
 
1 cup dried chickpeas

1 1/2 cups onion, chopped finely (1 medium-large onion)
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, or 1/4 cup of each, chopped

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons  salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut oil

Optional fixings: 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into thin rounds, thinly sliced red onion, radishes or tomatoes; your favorite hot sauce
 
Here's What You Do:
 1)  Place the beans in a bowl and add enough water to cover by a few inches.  Soak for at least 6 hours at room temperature.  (If your kitchen is very warm, you may want to place in the refrigerator to minimize chances of fermentation.)  Drain and set aside.

2)   Using a food processor or heavy-duty blender, pulverize the chickpeas using the "pulse" function until the beans form a paste that sticks together when you squeeze it in your hand.  Be careful not to overprocess; too smooth, the batter will fall apart when cooking.

3)  Add the remaining ingredients (except the oil) and combine, using the "pulse" function approximately twelve times, or until all of the ingredients come together. The batter will be somewhat grainy and speckled with herbs.

4)   Using a scant 1/3-cup measure, shape the batter into patties and place on a plate. (For sliders, use ¼ cup.) Cover the patties with parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.

5)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6)  In a shallow 12-inch skillet, heat ¼ cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Gently place the patties into the hot oil in small batches (don't crowd the pan) and fry the first side until golden brown and slightly crusty, 2 to 3 minutes.

7)  Gently turn onto the second side and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray to finish cooking in the oven until the patties slightly firm up and dry out, about 7 minutes.

8)  To keep the patties warm without further cooking, reduce the oven temperature to 225 F.

9)  May be served in a pita, on a warmed-up soft hamburger bun, or atop a romaine lettuce leaf with Lemon Tahini Sauce.
 
Makes 8 full-size patties or 10 sliders.
 

6 Comments:

Anne Sommer
Can I use canned beans?
January 15, 2013, 7:53 pm

Anne Sommer
Also, I'm having a very difficult time watching the video as it buffers non-stop...???
January 15, 2013, 7:54 pm

Katrina
I also can't view the video but I had a question on the recipe. Are the beans not cooked before making into patties - just soaked?
January 15, 2013, 8:16 pm

Cynthia Lair
Beans are not cooked, just soaked. Since canned beans are cooked, they don't work. Raw chickpeas soaked overnight. It works!
January 15, 2013, 8:39 pm

Sam Reber
I love falafel. I tried making it once. It took forever because it made about a million little patties. This looks much easier and like it doesn't make as many. I think I'll have to try falafel again with this recipe.
January 16, 2013, 8:37 am

Karen Kennedy
I made these this week. I didn't have any pita or anything else like that. So we just served them with tahini sauce, cucumber/yogurt sauce and salad. Yum! Kids liked them dipped in ketchup, but it's a start! I love your recipes.
May 13, 2013, 4:52 pm

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