I Like These Falafel Lot

After my rant against Martha Stewart, I figured I better make amends for my dried bean preparation perturbation and check “start with dried beans” off of my Culinary Bucket List.
To be fair, I’ve used lentils before, but as you don’t actually have to soak them, they don’t really count, do they?* Instead, I decided to make the one thing Alton Brown says you MUST start with dried beans to make (because Alton Brown knows everything, right?):
*Please don’t take offense to that statement. If I get a call from the Lentil Lovers of America at any point I’m blaming y’all.

Falafel!

In a completely out-of-character moved, I planned out this meal a day in advance.

Good thing, too…because you must soak your beans overnight in water.
The next day, you’ll wake up to a surprise! (And not the Coyote Ugly kind.*)
*If you don’t get that, go watch the movie. You can’t fight the moonlight.
The chickpeas will nearly triple in size!
It’s magical, really, and for a frugal food-lover like me, the concept of dried beans suddenly became incredibly more appealing…
Set the chickpeas aside to drain while you get the remaining ingredients prepped. Yes, you should follow my lead and drain them over the pan in which they soaked…it’s possible you’ll need the soaking liquid later.Collect (from your fridge or the grocery store*) a lemon or two, some green onions, and some fresh cilantro and parsley.
*If it is the latter, please pay for them before exiting. Otherwise, people like me will follow you around the store and potentially chase you into the parking lot.^
^Not that I’ve ever done that. Yet.
If you’re lemon is super juicy, you’ll only need one…you’re goal is about 3 Tbsp. of juice (or so…this recipe really isn’t as exact as I imply).
As for the fresh herbs, I prefer cilantro to parsley, so although I say to use about 1/4 cup of each, I probably ended up using slightly more cilantro and slightly less parsley. But it’s totally up to you.
Dice up your onions so you end up with about 1/4 cup of “whites and greens.”
Add 2 cups of chickpeas, a bunch of cumin and coriander, some salt and pepper, and 2 cloves of minced garlic (I cheated and use jarred…I mean, I was already putting forth the effort in starting from dried beans, so I figured a shortcut here was fine, right?)

Add the herbs and onions……and process away!

Now, the reason Alton says to start with dried chickpeas, not cooked or canned ‘chicks,’ is that you want your falafel balls to have some texture to them. The dried, but soaked, chickpeas retain a bit if a “nutty” profile even when mixed, so you almost think you’re eating something made from grain, rather than beans.You’ll want to stop and scrape the sides once or twice, and keep processing just until the chickpea mixture will stick together when pressed.You might need to add some of that reserved cooking liquid…but remember (for once)* we’re not making hummus.
*Did you smile a bit there? Did you?We ARE kind of making a (hu) MESS, though.^
^Did you smile THAT time?Roll the ‘dough’ into balls and–because you know my stomach doesn’t necessarily handle the word “fried” to well–bake them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.They won’t really brown all that much on top (despite being sprayed with cooking spray…totally optional), but they will get a bit crisp and browned on the bottom. Depending on how many herbs you use, they’ll also be slightly green. [It IS my signature color...so I'm cool with that.]You’ll note the ones that I show you below are not as alien-friendly. That’s because I decided to make a second batch at 7:30 in the morning (yes, before work) with slightly less herbs, and slightly more cumin.
This made my salad very smiley. [See it? See the accidental smiley face?]
The recipe I list below is the modified, less herbaceous one…but do as you wish with it.But one thing you definitely should do is whip up some of my favorite tzatziki. [And go back and laugh at that post...seriously.]Then you can turn your falafel balls into snow-covered mountains!
I suggest you whip up some of these little chickpea baked balls o’ yum, whether you need to check another item off of a Culinary Bucket List…or not.

Baked Falafel Balls

2/3 cup dried chickpeas (makes about 2 cups soaked/prepared)
1/4 cup (small handful) fresh cilantro
1/4 cup (small handful) fresh parsley
1/4 cup sliced green onions (whites and light greens)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Tzatziki Sauce, for serving

1. The day before, place dried chickpeas into a medium-sized bowl or saucepan. Cover with water (up to 2 inches above the chickpeas). Allow to soak overnight.
2. Drain chickpeas and put them into food processor.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except tzatziki) and process until ground, but not a paste.
4. Roll falafel mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet prepared with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until falafel balls are firm and browned (on the bottom).
6. Serve on a pita with lettuce and tomato, or on a Greek salad, with tzatziki.