This is in my interest. My husband has tried a couple of felafel recipes with 'meh' results. Using canned chick peas--those turned out very dense.
I've tried before with raw chick peas and they fell apart when fried. What recipe and technique did you use?
Not to hijack the thread, but I've had good luck with Joan Nathan's recipe as a starting point. (I up the herbs and add fresh mint and ground coriander to the mix, and use chickpea flour instead of wheat flour if I have it on hand, but the technique is the same.)
Letting the mix rest in the fridge for several hours or even overnight before frying definitely helps the formed falefel keep their shape, as does shaping into small puck shapes rather than balls. I prefer to shallow fry them in a cast iron skillet rather than deep fry; that might help them hold together better, too.
They freeze great! You can form them and freeze them in their raw state on a cookie sheet and put them in a baggie. Then defrost them and bake at 375°f until done. If you've already cooked them, defrost partially and bake at 375°f until crispy and hot. This method is Mark Bittman's way of doing it.
Had to double check my post. Mark suggests wrapping the cooked falafel wrapped in foil to avoid drying them out. I followed his direction and they stayed moist on the inside and crisp on the outside.
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I've tried before with raw chick peas and they fell apart when fried. What recipe and technique did you use?
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Falafel-231755
Letting the mix rest in the fridge for several hours or even overnight before frying definitely helps the formed falefel keep their shape, as does shaping into small puck shapes rather than balls. I prefer to shallow fry them in a cast iron skillet rather than deep fry; that might help them hold together better, too.
Sfmiller, I like the idea of using chickpea flour. I think I will try that recipe.