Books for Cooks: There’s just nothing like a good Falafel

Make your favorite take-out foods at home with the new “Take-Out Menu Cookbook,” by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds.

Snyder and Deeds tackle dishes from 12 of the most popular ethnic cuisines including Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian, German, French, Japanese, Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Moroccan, Mexican, Greek and Spanish.

The authors write: “Years ago, when Meredith (Deeds) lived in Seattle, Pike Place Market, the wonderful downtown farmers’ market, became her second home. Tucked away in one of the recesses of the market is a tiny restaurant that specializes in falafel sandwiches. Although the seats are few and the lines are often long, these crisp little golden orbs made of spiced ground chickpeas, stuffed into fresh pita bread and drizzled with tahini sauce made this restaurant a required stop nearly every time she passed by.

“Having left Seattle years ago, she learned the hard way that it’s not easy to find good falafel, so she learned how to make them herself in order to satisfy the craving. These falafel are light, crisp and full of happy Seattle memories.”

Falafel

2 cups dried chickpeas

1/2 onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

6 garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

8 warm pita breads

Tahini Sauce (recipe follows)

Shredded lettuce, for serving

Chopped tomatoes, for serving

Chopped cucumbers, for serving

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add cool water to cover by 2 inches.

Soak in the refrigerator for at least 18 hours and up to 24; they will swell to triple their original size. Drain and rinse.

Combine the chickpeas with the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, baking powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process to a smooth paste, scraping the sides down if necessary. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Pour 3 inches of oil in a deep fryer or a deep heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees.

Roll the falafel mixture into balls, just smaller than a ping-pong ball. Carefully slip 4 or 5 at a time into the hot oil, making sure they don’t stick to the bottom. Fry until they are crusty brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the falafel to a platter lined with paper towel using a slotted spoon.

Open the pita bread to make pockets (don’t split all the way) and put the 2 or 3 fried falafel into each. Drizzle with tahini sauce and layer with lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

Tahini Sauce

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Note: Tahini sauce can be made 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.

Yield: About 1 cup