If I had to pick one thing to eat for lunch for the rest of my life, falafel would be it and the falafel from Taïm in NYC is the best I’ve ever had. What would you pick for your forever lunch?
Below is the recipe for Taïm’s falafel from Einat Admony in her fantastic book Balaboosta: Bold Mediterranean Recipes
“This is the recipe that has led the media to proclaim me the queen of New York falafel. I know this sounds arrogant, but I never much liked falafel until I opened Taïm and developed this recipe. My version does without the baking powder, baking soda, flour, and bread typically used in other falafel balls. It’s a somewhat complicated recipe; though I make it without a meat grinder, I suggest you use one if you can. It makes for a better texture. If you don’t like black olives, skip them and grind parsley and cilantro as an alternative,” says Admony.
Photo by newyork.seriouseats.com
Falafel
Makes about 15 balls
Excerpt from “Balaboosta” by Einat Admony (Artisan Books.) Copyright 2013.
2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
Canola oil for deep frying
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
11⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Drain the chickpeas into a colander. Heat a medium pot filled with enough oil for deep frying.
Combine the onion and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely ground. Crush the coriander seeds with the back of a metal spoon. Add them and the chickpeas to the food processor and pulse just until the chickpeas are broken into smaller chunks.
Add the olives, salt, cumin, and pepper. Process until the mixture is finely chopped but not pureed, scraping down the sides of the container as needed. You’re looking for the mixture to resemble coarse meal and not hummus! If the mixture is a little too wet, simply drain off any excess liquid after you pulse it in the food processor. Shape the mixture into 11/2-inch balls and set aside.
When the oil in the pot reaches 375°F, cook 3 to 4 falafel balls at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Make sure to work in small batches to keep your oil nice and hot, which keeps your falafel tender and crispy.
