Falafel is a tasty, fried bean ball. I made mine with ground chickpeas (garbanzo beans), but they are also known to be made from ground fava beans or a combination of both. Falafel is a popular street food in the Middle East, and I believe it is the national dish of Israel. (Edit: Falafel actually originated in Egypt, and Israel likes to claim it as their national snack.) The great thing is chickpeas are high in fiber, and are a good source of iron and protein –much need nutrients in a meat-free diet. If you use canned chickpeas this meal comes together pretty fast, with down time during refrigeration. Traditionally falafel are served in a pita, with pickled vegetables or lettuce and tomato. I served mine on a piece of naan smeared in a homemade hummus, topped with shredded red cabbage, and tomato. It was truly delicious.

FALAFEL
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed), reserve 1/4 c liquid
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
2 T flour
small handful of fresh parsley
salt & pepper
oil for frying

Place chickpeas in your food processor and pulse until it becomes grainy. Add rest of the ingredients, combine while slowly adding in reserved liquid until mixture is gritty and well combined. Place mixture in fridge for 30 minutes (it helps them hold together when frying). Preheat oil to 350 degrees F. Roll mixture into 6-8 balls. Fry in batches for a couple minutes until golden brown. These are delicious warm. ENJOY!