Falafel time.

By Maestro Lounge Mediterranean Restaurant.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried Chickpeas (soaked overnight, don’t use canned chickpeas)

• ½ cup Onion (roughly chopped)

• 1 cup Parsley (roughly chopped, about a one large bunch)

• 1 cup Cilantro (roughly chopped, about a one large bunch)

• 1 Small Green Chile Pepper (serrano or jalapeño pepper)

• 3 Garlic Cloves

• 1 teaspoon Cumin

• 1 teaspoon Salt

• ½ teaspoon Cardamom

• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

• 2 tablespoons Chickpea Flour

• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda

• Avocado Oil (for frying)

Directions

1. The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in water. Make sure the water covers the chickpeas by 2-3 inches, as they’ll triple in size.

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to your food processor, along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, pepper, everything except the oil.

3. Put at least 2 inches of oil in a large deep saucepan (the narrower the pan, the less oil you need; but the more oil, the more you can cook at one time. Turn heat to medium high and heat oil to about 350 degrees (a piece of falafel will sink halfway to the bottom and then rise)

4. Scoop mixture and shape into balls or small patties. Fry in batches until nicely browned, turning as necessary. Each batch should take less than 5 minutes. Serve room temperature with your choice of hummus dipping sauce, Toum dipping sauce, minty yogurt sauce or a creamy garlic sauce. You decide!