Falafel From Moosewood Cookbook Food

FALAFEL FROM MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOK

Steps:

• Place all ingredients except flour in a food processor.
• Blend until the consistency is uniform.
• Thoroughly mix flour into the felafel batter with a spoon.
• Heat a heavy skillet and add oil to coat completely. Wait until oil is heated and water sizzles upon contact when sprinkled into pan.
• Drop tablespoons of the batter into the oil, flattening slightly with a spatula like a small thick pancake. When bottoms are crispy and browned, flip them over.
• Place cooked felafel on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any residual oil.
• Keep warm in a 300 degree oven if not serving immediately.
• ***Note: Felafel may be deep fried, but use a standard vegetable oil as opposed to olive oil which does not have a high heat tolerance.

BAKED SAMOSAS (FROM THE NEW REVISED EDITION MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOK)

Steps:

• Dough.
• Mix the flour and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
• Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk or yogurt. Mix first with a spoon and then with your hand to make a smooth dough.
• Add extra flour as needed to keep the dough from being sticky. The dough will be quite soft. Knead in the bowl for about five minutes.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the samosas.
• Filling.
• Peel potatoes and chop them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, cover with water and boil until very soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Mash and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander and salt. Saute over medium heat about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the onions are quite soft.
• Add the onion mixture to the potatoes, along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well but try not to smush the peas.
• Cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Assembly and baking.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F Generously oil a baking sheet, or cover with parchment paper.
• Have ready a small container of flour, a fork, a small bowl of water and a pastry brush.
• Flour a clean surface and, one by one, roll one inch balls of dough into a five inch circle.
• Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the centre of each circle.
• Brush the inside edges of the circle with a little water and fold the edges together to make a small hem. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork.
• Place each samosa as it is made on the greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F, turning the samosas over when you do. Bake for 10 more minutes.
• Serve within 15 minutes of baking with chutney or your favourite dipping sauce.

CHEF JOHN'S FALAFEL

Steps:

• Place garbanzo beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 12 to 24 hours. Drain.
• Blend garbanzo beans, onion, parsley, garlic, flour, lemon juice, salt, cumin, coriander, baking soda, and cayenne pepper together in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until mixture is finely ground and holds together when pressed. Transfer garbanzo mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until flavors blend, 1 to 2 hours.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Divide dough into 12 portions and roll each with moistened hands into a ball.
• Working in batches, cook falafel balls in hot oil until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.