Falafel

The boys ate every last piece-I'll take that as positive feedback. Some people insist that the trick to good falafel is not cooking the chickpeas, but merely soaking and grinding them. I've never had good luck with that method-they always fall apart. This works well for me. I did not use a food processor or blender to break up the chickpeas. I used a great, big, heavy chef's knife. Use what you're most comfortable with, though try not to over-process if you use a machine. You still want some chickpea texture.

Night Before:
Soak a big bowl of chickpeas. You might as well do more than you need for falafel so you can make a batch of hummus at the same time. Why heat up your house cooking more beans than you have to?

Day Of Cooking:

3 cups cooked chickpeas, skins removed and then chopped (the chickpeas, not the skins. Throw the skins away)
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt/Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons flour (I used Wondra, but AP is fine) You may need more

Mix everything together. It should hold together in a ball-if not, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. Gather mixture into a ball, place it in a bowl and chill it an hour or two before using.

Heat your oil about 3 inches deep in a heavy pot. I like mine around 375 degrees F. Though it always spikes a bit higher between batches. Just keep an eye on it. Use an oil with a high smoking point-I used a soybean oil.

Shape falafels and drop a few at a time into hot fat. Fry until deeply browned. Cut one open and check for doneness-it should not be completely dry-you want them to have a bit of moisture. Drain on rack and serve immediately. Makes about a dozen good sized falafel.