Falafel With Tahini Sauce

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional, but better with it)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (i cook mine in the pressure cooker, but canned would be fine)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 medium garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup matzo meal
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons salt (use less if the chickpeas are salted)
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 quart oil (for frying, we use a mix of canola and peanut oils)
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• juice of half a small lemon (prefrably meyer)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (we prefer ancho) or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (we prefer ancho)
• 2 -4 tablespoons water

Recipe

• 1 falafel: grind the first four spices in a spice grinder or moprtar and pestle. place the ground spices in the workbowl of a food processor along with the chickpeas, onion, and garlic. pulse several times to mince the contents.
• 2 add the sesame seeds, matzo meal, parsley, and baking powder and pulse until evenly mixed, being careful not to puree the mixture.
• 3 beat the egg in a large bowl, add the chickpea mixture, salt, and pepper and mix well. chill at least 15 minutes.
• 4 form 16 balls of the chilled chickpea mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, flattening each ball slightly.
• 5 heat the oil to 360 degrees in a large heavy pot and fry the falafel until golden, turning at least once. this should take 2 or 3 minutes. drain well before serving, hot, with the tahini sauce and lemon wedges.
• 6 tahini sauce ( makes about 1/2 cup):combine all ingredients except water in the workbowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. add the water slowly with the motor running until it forms a creamy sauce.