Falafel Burgers (Vegetarian, Broiled)
Inspired by Israeli Soul For the quick-pickled onions: Finely slice a red onion and place in a bowl. Season with a pinch each of salt and sugar. Sprinkle with vinegar — it doesn't have to be completely submerged, but do saturate it nicely — and let it stand for 15 minutes. If you want to make more traditional falafel: Omit the eggs, and stir 1.5 teaspoons baking powder into the mix of spices. When you purée the mixture in the food processor, add a tablespoon or two of water. Scoop the batter into 1-inch balls. Deep fry in canola oil. Store uncooked balls/patties in the fridge for up to three days. See notes below regarding freezing and thawing.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (1.25 cups) dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight and drained
- 1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand; use half as much if using Morton)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Big handful fresh parsley (35 – 40 g)
- Big handful fresh cilantro (35 – 40 g)
- 1 medium carrot, chopped (105 g)
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped (112 g)
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Pita bread
- Tahini sauce or tzatziki
- Schug, optional
- harissa
- Chopped tomatoes, optional
- Chopped cucumbers, optional
- Soft lettuce leaves, such as Boston or Bibb, or chopped Romaine
Instructions
- 1
Soak the chickpeas: Place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Fill bowl with water. Let stand overnight on counter for at least 12 hours. Drain and rinse.
- 2
Mix together the salt, cumin, and turmeric in a small bowl. Roughly chop the parsley and cilantro.
- 3
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor — the drained chickpeas, herbs, chopped carrots, onions, garlic, and the mixed dry seasonings. (Note: My food processor is a 14-cup Cuisinart, and this amount of ingredients fills it to the brim. If yours is smaller, consider doing this in two batches.) Pulse until the mixture is very finely chopped, and it holds together when pinched between two fingers.
- 4
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the beaten eggs. Use a spatula to combine.
- 5
Form patties using 1/2 cup measure. Scoop out the mix, squeeze with your hands, form into a ball —mixture will be delicate/wet. Portion out all of the mixture, until you have about 8 balls.
- 6
Broil: Heat your broiler to high for at least 15 minutes. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Pat each ball into a patty (or as many as you are cooking at one time) and place the formed patties on top of the oiled sheet pan. Brush tops of patties lightly with oil. Season with salt. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown. Use a metal spatula to flip each patty. Brush tops with more oil. Season with salt. Return pan to broiler and broil for 2 to 3 minutes more or until evenly golden brown.
- 7
Serve with pita and other condiments noted above.
Cook it from the original
This recipe comes from alexandracooks.com. Their page has the author’s own photos, notes and tips — the best place to cook it from.
Open the recipe on alexandracooks.com