Homemade Falafel Recipe

The weather has been so pleasant in the Bay Area this weekend that I thought it would be nice to have something fun and refreshing for dinner. We haven't had falafel sandwiches in a while, and since there are so many vegetarians in my house, it was a perfect choice. Other than the falafel themselves, all that was required to prepare a full dinner was a little yogurt (Tzatziki) sauce, diced tomato salad and some pita bread.

To make the falafel I used a combination of fresh fava beans, canned chickpeas, pistachios, fresh bread and a few spices. We prepared a large number, stored a few in the freezer and deep-fried the rest. The key to light falafel is to coarsely chop the ingredients as opposed to blending the chickpeas too smoothly.

I served the meal family style with mini pita bread pockets. Everyone got to put their own sandwich together, which was half the fun. It was absolutely delicious and the preparation was almost effortless.

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Moroccan Inspired Chickpeas

After the interview with Las Vegas Chef Pinisetti, I was determined to try out his version of harissa. We made a batch over Labor Day Weekend using red chiles from the garden. I had about 2-3 tablespoons leftover that I didn't want to go to waste.

I decided to make a loose interpretation of an Indian dish called chole, where I replaced the garam masala, ginger garlic paste and amchur (dried mango powder) with Moroccan flavors. I added the leftover harissa to the dish and made a spicy cream cheese sauce to season the chickpeas. Sautéed mushrooms added a "meaty" texture and pieces of preserved lemons, raw onions and tomatoes cut the richness of the dish.

It was such a hit in my house with both the vegetarians and meat eaters that I’m sure to make it again soon. They said it was like a spicy mushroom stroganoff. That wasn’t exactly what I was going for, but they liked it. It’s interesting how flavor combinations can evoke memories of totally different foods. Over the summer I made Earl Grey ice cream and everyone said it tasted like Fruit Loops. Go figure!

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Chana Masala Recipe (Chole)

Chana masala, also known as chole, is my father-in-law's favorite Indian dish. It is a very common dish sold by street vendors in India. Daddy is a vegetarian like Lulu, so the garbanzo bean-based dish is perfect for their diet. Garbanzo beans are full of protein and make a complete dish when paired with a starch such as rice -in the case of this dish- a bhatura. The beans are cooked in thick, spicy tomato-based gravy and finished with amchur, a dried mango powder which lends a sour note to the garbanzo beans.

As I mentioned, chole is traditionally served with bhatura. If you're not familiar with Indian cuisine, bhaturas are deep-fried bread rounds. They are similar to, but slightly larger than puris, which I love. I'll post that recipe soon.

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Fresh Garbanzo Beans (Chana)

Whether they're called chana, garbanzos or chickpeas, most people are probably familiar with the dried version of this versatile legume. Fresh chana beans however, may be new to many, but are delicious in their own right and deserve to be used more. They taste very different from the canned or dried version; they have a mild sweetness with a light, buttery, tender texture. If you're looking for a snack, fresh garbanzos are a great a source of fiber, protein and iron.



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Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

During our last trip to Philadelphia, Lulu and I realized how narrow the vegetarian options were in restaurants. Lulu had falafel during the entire time of our stay there.

He hasn't touched it since we got back and I thought it was time to re-introduce him to falafel. I served them in a Mediterranean-style salad along with lemon tahini vinaigrette, candied walnuts and thinly sliced kumquat preserves from last winter's harvest.

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