The best veggie patties ever- FALAFEL

Once just a street sold fast food in the Middle East, now very well know all around the world, falafel is climbing to the top of food lovers lunch and party menu. Accompanied with hummus and Arabic salad (here in USA known as pico de gallo salad) in a pita pocket, falafel is really good eats.

Apart from the fact that falafel is fried, all the ingredients that go to the recipe are healthy:
- Chick Peas: full in fiber, protein and copper, and a very good source of folate and manganese;
- Broad Beans: good source of dietary fiber, protein, phosphorus, copper and manganese, and a very good source of folate;
- Bulgar: also a very good source of dietary fiber and manganese;
- and all the veggies: onions, garlic, ginger, green bell peppers, banana peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, parsley that goes into the felalfel just boost the taste and the healthy level.


The working week is always very hectic and as everyone is leaving the house at different times, everyone is having breakfast on their own. Usually just some cereal or oatmeal with a cup of tea or milk. But when the weekend comes, the family gathers for breakfast together and indulge in the variety of food spread on the table: scrambled eggs, hummus, labanah, zatar with olive oil, olives, cheeses, turkey ham, strawberry preserve, peanut butter, fresh veggies, and then some more...or less, and of course FALAFEL!

The Best Veggie Patties Ever- Falafel

FALAFEL
Ingredients:
1 16 oz. bag of dry chickpeas
1 16 oz. bag of dry peeled broad beans
1 cup of fine brugol + 1 cup of water
10 medium sized banana peppers or 3 large green bell peppers
4 jalapeno peppers
2 large onions
1 garlic head
1 ginger root
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 bunch of cilantro


Directions:
Soak chickpeas and broad beans in water over night.


Next day begin by soaking brugol in a cup of water for 10 minutes.


Grind the ingredients in a meat grinder with 3/16 inch grinder plate (smallest holes) or just chop everything in a food processor to a very fine consistency. Note that if the pieces are coarse you will end with  a very crunchy falafel, not pleasant at all to eat.

Add the soaked brugol and mix to combine.

Divide the falafel mixture into four 1 quart freezer bags, which is approximately 25 pieces of falafel per pack. Freeze until use.

HOW TO PREPARE FALAFEL MIXTURE BEFORE FRYING:

Ingredients:
1 1quart freezer bag of falafel, thaw if frozen
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp baking powder


Direction:
Mix all together and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Use 1 oz. scoop (#30 ice-cream scoop) to form the falafel patties or use the special falafel mold.

Fry the patties at 350*F until golden browned.

Serve and enjoy!