by Marsha L. » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:13 pm
Okay, here's the recipe from my appetizers class that I taught at Campbell's this summer. It's from Martha Stewart's Hors D'oeuvres Handbook. This is the best, freshest falafel recipe - served in a lettuce wrap, it's especially refreshing. Serve it with prepared tatziki sauce, or make your own out of cucumber, plain yogurt, salt, pepper, dill and lemon juice. Do NOT leave the turmeric out of the fritters - it adds a great counterpoint to the heat of the red pepper flakes.
Lima Bean Falafel Fritters in Lettuce Cups
Yield: 30 pieces
1 14 oz can lima beans, drained
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 14 oz can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1.5 quarts peanut oil, for frying
3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated
6 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
Prepared Tahini (yogurt-cucumber) sauce
toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Drain and rinse canned limas and chickpeas.
In the bowl of a food processor, process the parsley and the cilantro until fine. Add the chickpeas, lima beans, garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt, ¼ cup of the red onions, the pepper flakes, and the lime juice. Pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms a paste and is fairly smooth. Add the flour and pulse to combine (add more flour if necessary until mixture can be handled without sticking to hands). Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside. The falafel mixture may be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.
Heat the oil in a deep 6-inch saucepan, or an electric fryer, until a frying thermometer registers 365 F. Dust 1 tablespoon of the falafel mixture in flour and drop into the oil to fry in batches of 6. Fry until the mixture is dark golden, about 30 seconds. Transfer the completed fritters to paper towels to drain and repeat with the remaining mixture. Serve each fritter in a lettuce cup, garnished with the remaining onions, the tomatoes, a dollop of tahini sauce, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve any remaining tatziki sauce on the side.
Marsha Lynch
LEO columnist, free range cook/food writer/food stylist