Crispy Bulgur Falafel Patties
- Prep Time30 mins
- Total Time41 mins
- Makes4 Servings
Photo: Andrew Grinton
Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, tuck these falafels in a wrap or dunk them in tzatziki sauce.
Ingredients
1/2 cup grated English cucumber
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/8 tsp salt
Falafels
1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat
1/4 cup boiling water
1 540 mL can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup packed Italian parsley, leaves
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 large egg
2 cups canola oil
1 head butter lettuce, or bibb lettuce
1 tomato, finely chopped
Instructions
Squeeze grated cucumber with your hands until most of the liquid has been released. Place in a medium bowl. Stir in yogurt and salt. Set aside.
Place bulgur in a large bowl and pour in boiling water, stirring to combine. Cover and let stand until all liquid is absorbed, about 5 min.
Combine chickpeas with onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, baking powder and egg in a food processor. Whirl until puréed, scraping down sides if necessary. Add bulgur mixture and whirl until combined.
Scoop out 1 heaping tbsp falafel mixture and form into patties about ½-in. thick. Repeat. You should have about 24 small patties when finished.
Pour oil into a large wide frying pan until it reaches ½ in. up the sides. Heat over medium to about 360F. Working in batches, fry falafels until golden brown, 1 to 2 min per side. Do not crowd pan. Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining falafels.
Serve falafels on lettuce with tomato and tzatziki at room temperature.
Nutrition (per serving)
Protein 13g, Carbohydrates 46g, Fat 6g, Fibre 9g, Sodium 868mg.
Tip
We found that the falafel patties sometimes fell apart if the frying oil wasn’t hot enough. Make sure the temperature of the oil is above 350F, and don’t fry too many at once (it will cool the oil down).
Originally published in the March 2013 issue. Photo by Andrew Grinton.
