# Why was my falafel awful?



## Django! (Feb 7, 2007)

Hi, first post! (I hope this is the right forum!)

So, the other night I tried to make one of my most favorite dishes ever. The falafel. I got some precanned chick peas, onions, garlic, and the assorted other seasonings required and suggested by tons of online sites and cook books. 

As far as I know, the preparation stage went according to instruction, save for the onions maybe being a bit chunkier than expected. 

Well, I tried frying them two different ways. One was in a fry daddy, set to the recommended temperature, and the other in a skillet. In both instruments the falafel broke up and practically melted as it cooked. The ones that did survive did not have the texture, nor the flavor, of the falafel at my favorite mediterranean dig. 

From this short explanation, could any of you clue me into where I went wrong?


----------



## urmaniac13 (Feb 7, 2007)

Can you post a complete recipe, or if you winged it, describe it as much in detail as possible, including the ingredients (+ how much of each)??

Falafel can be tricky, one of those recipes I struggled to perfect, but I am pretty much getting there.  Then I hope I will be able to help you!


----------



## jennyema (Feb 7, 2007)

We would really need to know exactly how you made it. What ingredients did you use in what quantities and how you assembled them.

CAn you tell us more?


----------



## karadekoolaid (Feb 7, 2007)

Hi, Django ( like Django Reinhardt, yeah?)!
First thing about making falafel. You can't use canned chickpeas, as they are cooked. You have to soak dried chickpeas overnight (8 hours) then blend them to a rough paste.Raw chickpeas, in other words.  I'd also suggest blending the garlic and onion ( just a very little bit) with the chickpeas. 
the spices wouldn't have made any difference. Oh, and no water, unless your chickpea mixture is very very dry. If so, add just a little!
Second point could be the temperature of the oil. I do not possess a thermometer, nor a deep fryer, so my test is do drop a tiny bit of the mixture in the oil before I start frying. If it bubbles and rises immediately to the surface, then it's ready . Remember that, as you add the falafel to the oil, the temperature will drop, so you must be vigilant. Don't poke the falafel about until you're certain they are semi-crisp on the outside; ie. if you start poking them before they're fried, they'll come apart. 
Finally - keep trying. Yes, keep trying. I seem to remember I did exactly the same thing some 15 years ago, with the same results as you. 
Don't be disheartened - cooking is experimenting until you get it right!


----------



## Django! (Feb 7, 2007)

cliveb said:
			
		

> Hi, Django ( like Django Reinhardt, yeah?)!
> First thing about making falafel. You can't use canned chickpeas, as they are cooked. You have to soak dried chickpeas overnight (8 hours) then blend them to a rough paste.Raw chickpeas, in other words.  I'd also suggest blending the garlic and onion ( just a very little bit) with the chickpeas.
> the spices wouldn't have made any difference. Oh, and no water, unless your chickpea mixture is very very dry. If so, add just a little!
> Second point could be the temperature of the oil. I do not possess a thermometer, nor a deep fryer, so my test is do drop a tiny bit of the mixture in the oil before I start frying. If it bubbles and rises immediately to the surface, then it's ready . Remember that, as you add the falafel to the oil, the temperature will drop, so you must be vigilant. Don't poke the falafel about until you're certain they are semi-crisp on the outside; ie. if you start poking them before they're fried, they'll come apart.
> ...


Do you have a recipe that you could share with me?

This is the recipe I used.  I did not use any parsley, and I think I used a smaller amount of baking powder, as it was the last little bit that I had.  Everything was chopped up extra fine, save the onion, which was a bit chunky.  I've referenced a few websites since I made this thread, and I'm beginning to think that the lack of backing powder/bread is what caused it to have a funky taste and fall to pieces.
1 15 oz. can chickpeas
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
oil for frying (canola or vegetable)
Thanks for the replies, everyone!


----------



## Yakuta (Feb 7, 2007)

Clive is right on, you cannot use cooked chickpeas (that's what the canned version is).  Your recipe sounds fine the only thing you need to change is instead of the canned chickpeas use a cup and a half of raw chickpeas.  Soak them over night in plenty of water.  

In the morning drain out all the water and grind them into a thick paste.  Add salt and all the remaining ingredients.  I like to chop my onion and garlic super fine and not blend them because this way they release less water.  Once the batter is seasoned fry them using the method Clive recommended and they should come out good. 

Baking powder does not cause things to fall apart in oil but liquid does.  I have learned this the hard way when I was learning to cook and made numerous messes along the way.  If you omit baking powder the end product will be a flat fitter.  It will not fall apart but will not look nice and puffy.


----------



## Django! (Feb 7, 2007)

Hmmm.  I don't know where to find raw chickpeas.  I'll have to check the Co Op next time I'm in the capital.

I don't have a food processor, but I do have a blender and a chopper.  The chopper can't really cut things too finely.  Would a blender be a decent substitute?


----------



## mudbug (Feb 7, 2007)

Django, a blender should work just fine as long as you've softened them up overnight in water as recommended above.


----------



## Yakuta (Feb 7, 2007)

If you don't have a store nearby then the internet can be your friend.  You can go to Ethnic Grocer and order the chickpeas.  

Do a search on Kabuli Chana and order them, they are the same things.  A pack is 3.99.  There is also a Falafel mix that they sell.  It's pretty much grind beans.  You just mix it with water and add some seasonings and you are ready to fry.  

I have enclosed the links for you if you are interested in ordering online. 

EthnicGrocer.com – Premier online provider of authentic ethnic foods and products - Falafel Mix

EthnicGrocer.com – Premier online provider of authentic ethnic foods and products - Kabuli Chana


----------



## Django! (Feb 7, 2007)

Wow.

Seems like a great website.  Thanks for the link.


----------



## urmaniac13 (Feb 7, 2007)

Yakuta and Clive is certainly right to make ideal falafels. However, I also tried a short cut, "cheater version" of mock falafel a few times when I suddenly decided I wanted them for dinner in the late afternoon, they came out with a decent result.
I add an egg for a binder, and breadcrumbs to soak up the moisture, adding it gradually by testing the consistency. (Soft but it should hold its shape.)  Put them in the fridge for a couple of hours and let them chill until when the oil is hot and you are ready to cook them.

But save this method for emergencies, nothing beats real falafel made correctly


----------



## Django! (Feb 7, 2007)

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Yakuta and Clive is certainly right to make ideal falafels. However, I also tried a short cut, "cheater version" of mock falafel a few times when I suddenly decided I wanted them for dinner in the late afternoon, they came out with a decent result.
> I add an egg for a binder, and breadcrumbs to soak up the moisture, adding it gradually by testing the consistency. (Soft but it should hold its shape.)  Put them in the fridge for a couple of hours and let them chill until when the oil is hot and you are ready to cook them.
> 
> But save this method for emergencies, nothing beats real falafel made correctly



I'll be near my favorite mediterannean restaurant this weekend, so I'll be satisfied for a bit afterwards!!


----------



## Michael in FtW (Feb 9, 2007)

The reason your falafel didn't have the same taste and texture as your favorite digs is because you didn't use/follow their recipe ... and that includes what they put into it, how they mixed it, and how they fried it (including the type of oil they used).

Here is a recipe worth looking at ... including using the food processor for mixing the ingredients. You _can_ use canned chickpeas/barbanzo beans ... but there is a subtle difference in flavor and texture.

Assuming you had your ingredients mixed properly, and the oil temp was correct before you started  ... your falafel probably fell apart from technique. In deep frying, if you add too many to the pot at one time the oil temp will drop and instead of cooking the falafel they will begin to absorb the oil, and fall apart ... if you start poking at them and turning too soon the same thing can happen. Same goes with "pan frying" them ... you have to leave them alone for 3-4 minutes after you put them into the pan before you even think about turning them - they should only be turned once, like a delicate piece of fish.


----------



## BreezyCooking (Feb 9, 2007)

I don't agree with the chickpea thing, as I've been making falafel & chickpea burgers for years & always use the canned drained ones with absolutely no problem.

If they're falling apart when you cook them, I'd suspect the complete lack of a binding agent in your recipe is at fault more than whether the peas were canned ones or soaked dried ones. All the "from scratch" recipes I've ever used call for an egg to bind everything together. And when I "cheat" once in awhile & use a commercial falafel mix, that too calls for an egg (in addition to canned chickpeas). The recipe you're using has absolutely nothing in it to even remotely bind the mixture together. I'm not at all surprised they're falling apart, & don't think switching to soaked dried chickpeas or even fresh chickpeas is going to help that situation.

If I were you, I'd add one lightly beaten egg to your recipe & try it again to see if that helps.  It should, as the rest of your recipe looks fine to me.


----------



## jennyema (Feb 9, 2007)

I've never made falafel but I always assumed you used cooked beans.

If you grind soaked but not cooked chickpeas and then fry for the short amount of time to cook the falafel ball, do the ground chickpeas cook fully?

All I can imagine are very crunchy falafel balls ....

Now this may be my weekend project!


----------



## Yakuta (Feb 9, 2007)

Hi Jennyema yes the raw beans cook just fine.  You fry them on medium heat.  As indicated this is a method used widely in Indian cooking as well. 

Breezy, falafel is a vegetarian dish, if you use an egg as a binder it would not classify as vegetarian in the true sense of the word.  

The binder that makes more sense would be some type of flour to dry out the water if you like to use canned chickpeas.  We normally add a few tbsp of chickpea flour to preserve the authentic taste and dry the batter enough so you can fry it without it falling apart.  I still however think that raw is the route to go if you want an authentic result.  Try it and see the difference.


----------



## jennyema (Feb 9, 2007)

Yakuta

Tnx!  I am now very intrigued .....


----------



## BreezyCooking (Feb 9, 2007)

Yakuta - the original poster didn't say she was a "vegetarian".  I'm not a vegetarian either & yet I make falafel frequently.

And unless she were "vegan", eggs should be okay.

If she wanted specific instructions based on dietary restrictions & didn't say so - that ain't my fault - lol!!!!

However, if she's NOT a vegan/vegetarian, adding an egg will solve a lot of problems.


----------



## Yakuta (Feb 9, 2007)

Hi Jenny, yes the beans get tender from soaking and when you grind them the granuals are pretty fine so it cooks quickly in hot oil. 

Breezy you are right that they did not specify they were vegetarian and in that case egg would be O.K. as a binder, I still did not think it was authentic so I was listing some other options.  I still recommend trying the raw method.  Try and see what you think -   , it's some work but I think you would like the results.


----------



## karadekoolaid (Feb 9, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> I don't agree with the chickpea thing, as I've been making falafel & chickpea burgers for years & always use the canned drained ones with absolutely no problem.
> 
> If they're falling apart when you cook them, I'd suspect the complete lack of a binding agent in your recipe is at fault more than whether the peas were canned ones or soaked dried ones. All the "from scratch" recipes I've ever used call for an egg to bind everything together. And when I "cheat" once in awhile & use a commercial falafel mix, that too calls for an egg (in addition to canned chickpeas). The recipe you're using has absolutely nothing in it to even remotely bind the mixture together. .


 
Sorry, Breezycooking - I have to disagree here. 
First of all, you do not need eggs to "bind" the falafel. It's a perfect Vegan dish - no eggs, no animal fat, and yes, yes, it _does_ work with raw, soaked chickpeas because I've done it loads of times. 
I believe its the starch in the chickpeas that binds the falafel together. In Indian cooking, for example, you'll find hundreds and thousands of recipes for "fritters" or "Kebabs" or "Veggie Rissoles" - without eggs. There's a delicious appetizer I make called "Vada" - it's basically soaked split green peas with spices and herbs (JUST like the falafel), deep fried and served with a fresh chutney (falafel is often served with tomatoes and tahini here). No eggs in sight. Then there are Pakoras - bound together with a chickpea-flour paste.
There's another made with ground sweetcorn. Again, no eggs. Perfect fritter if your oil is hot enough and you don't poke the food about!
A popular snack in England is an Onion Bhaji - again, onions, and chickpea flour. 
Give them a try sometime and you'll see that eggs are not always necessary!


----------



## Django! (Feb 11, 2007)

Went to the Co-op today.  Picked up some fresh chickpeas and some tahini as well, so I can make some hummus if it comes down to it.

Also, I'm male.  

As far as being vegan, no, I'm not.  I'll try the egg and if that doesn't work, I may try a piece of white bread.


----------



## Django! (Feb 12, 2007)

Awesome.

Wal Mart of all places, has falafel mix.  I bought some and will be giving it a taste test soon.  However...

This is the fruit of my labor.  






Made some hummus to start off with.  I tried to experiment a bit, and added pesto.  A bit too much pesto.  So, while it was only okay on a cracker, It goes nicely with some noodles.  Threw in some tomatoes, black and green olives, and a small amount of feta.


----------



## karadekoolaid (Feb 13, 2007)

So the final dish was fusilli, not falafel! 
As long as it tasted good...


----------



## Django! (Feb 14, 2007)

cliveb said:
			
		

> So the final dish was fusilli, not falafel!
> As long as it tasted good...



Nah, I just gave up on falafel for the moment.  Gonna try again this weekend, though.  Made my first batch of humus instead.


----------



## JoieMichelle (Aug 14, 2013)

Django! said:


> Do you have a recipe that you could share with me?
> 
> This is the recipe I used.  I did not use any parsley, and I think I used a smaller amount of baking powder, as it was the last little bit that I had.  Everything was chopped up extra fine, save the onion, which was a bit chunky.  I've referenced a few websites since I made this thread, and I'm beginning to think that the lack of backing powder/bread is what caused it to have a funky taste and fall to pieces.
> [*]1 15 oz. can chickpeas
> ...



This is the recipe I used with the same result. The first time was a total loss. The second time I dried the chick peas all day before making it & did a test run in the oil. It was going to be a failure too so I used an egg wash & bread crumbs to make a crust. This mostly worked.
Next I'll give the raw chick peas a try. Thanks for this post!


----------



## JoieMichelle (Aug 14, 2013)

cliveb said:


> Hi, Django ( like Django Reinhardt, yeah?)!
> First thing about making falafel. You can't use canned chickpeas, as they are cooked. You have to soak dried chickpeas overnight (8 hours) then blend them to a rough paste.Raw chickpeas, in other words.  I'd also suggest blending the garlic and onion ( just a very little bit) with the chickpeas.
> the spices wouldn't have made any difference. Oh, and no water, unless your chickpea mixture is very very dry. If so, add just a little!
> Second point could be the temperature of the oil. I do not possess a thermometer, nor a deep fryer, so my test is do drop a tiny bit of the mixture in the oil before I start frying. If it bubbles and rises immediately to the surface, then it's ready . Remember that, as you add the falafel to the oil, the temperature will drop, so you must be vigilant. Don't poke the falafel about until you're certain they are semi-crisp on the outside; ie. if you start poking them before they're fried, they'll come apart.
> ...



Thank you Clive! I will give this a try. I hate wasting my fresh herbs...


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 16, 2013)

What an interesting thread!   

I too have had nothing but disaster with my previous Falafel attempts and had actually given up on ever producing any at home.  

However, I am now spurred on to try again and bought some dried chickpeas today.  (All my previous attempts - from different recipes - featured tinned chickpeas, but I find the idea of trying the other kind quite interesting).   Not sure exactly when I will make the attempt, but we shall see how it goes.   (If this attempt fails as miserably as the previous ones, then I really am going to give up permanently!)


----------



## JoieMichelle (Aug 16, 2013)

KatyCooks said:


> What an interesting thread!
> 
> I too have had nothing but disaster with my previous Falafel attempts and had actually given up on ever producing any at home.
> 
> However, I am now spurred on to try again and bought some dried chickpeas today.  (All my previous attempts - from different recipes - featured tinned chickpeas, but I find the idea of trying the other kind quite interesting).   Not sure exactly when I will make the attempt, but we shall see how it goes.   (If this attempt fails as miserably as the previous ones, then I really am going to give up permanently!)



Hey Katy! I tried the dried chick peas last night with complete success! They were YUMMY & PERFECT! I would suggest adding a little baking powder though. They were much more dense this way.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 16, 2013)

JoieMichelle said:


> Hey Katy! I tried the dried chick peas last night with complete success! They were YUMMY & PERFECT! I would suggest adding a little baking powder though. They were much more dense this way.


 
Excellent!  And baking powder - check. 

How did you serve them JoieMichelle? I've had them as "street food" served in pita pockets, but is there a "plated" version?


----------



## taxlady (Aug 16, 2013)

We order a "falafel" platter regularly. It comes with hummus, tahini sauce, tabouli, a little bit of pickled turnip, and a pita.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 16, 2013)

taxlady said:


> We order a "falafel" platter regularly. It comes with hummus, tahini sauce, tabouli, a little bit of pickled turnip, and a pita.


 
Pickled turnip TL?   This has piqued my interest.  Just so I know we are talking about the same vegetable - this would be a small white round root vegetable, with a slightly pinkish purple hue to some of the skin?


----------



## taxlady (Aug 16, 2013)

KatyCooks said:


> Pickled turnip TL?   This has piqued my interest.  Just so I know we are talking about the same vegetable - this would be a small white round root vegetable, with a slightly pinkish purple hue to some of the skin?


Yup, that's the one. There's a North African way of pickling turnips using a lactic acid method. They use beets to make them purple. They are yummy, but you don't want to eat much at once.


----------



## acerbicacid (Aug 17, 2013)

Sorry, not falafel but the pickled turnips, really scrummy and a beautiful shocking pink.   I use Claudia Roden's recipe - " Pickled Turnips recipe" but there are lots more on the web.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 17, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Yup, that's the one. There's a North African way of pickling turnips using a lactic acid method. They use beets to make them purple. They are yummy, but you don't want to eat much at once.


 
Sounds completely fascinating!


----------



## taxlady (Aug 17, 2013)

acerbicacid said:


> Sorry, not falafel but the pickled turnips, really scrummy and a beautiful shocking pink.   I use Claudia Roden's recipe - " Pickled Turnips recipe" but there are lots more on the web.


Thank you for that recipe. I have printed the web page as a PDF.

It isn't clear from the recipe. Do I add the garlic, allspice, and coriander seeds to the brine or straight into the jars? Any idea how many hours of sun per day are needed?


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 17, 2013)

acerbicacid said:


> Sorry, not falafel but the pickled turnips, really scrummy and a beautiful shocking pink. I use Claudia Roden's recipe - " Pickled Turnips recipe" but there are lots more on the web.


 

By jove I think I'll try it!  I find turnips pretty boring generally, but this could be an interesting way to liven them up.   The recipe doesn't actually say what to do with the beetroot, but I guess you just peel it and slice it?  Does it need pre-cooking since beetroot usually takes ages to soften?  (Certainly a lot longer than turnips).


----------



## acerbicacid (Aug 17, 2013)

I add the spices to the jar with the turnips plus 1 unpeeled garlic clove to each jar.    I also add ½ cup vinegar with only 2 cups of the water (not sure if this is authentic but I like it).   The beetroot is sliced and used raw, it makes the pickle a brilliant wonderful pink .    I have never actually tried to eat the beetroot, I think it is just for natural colour, but I do have a recipe that uses raw beetroot in a stack but I wasn't too keen.

As for how long the sun is needed, I just leave it on the kitchen window sill  - it gets the sun in the afternoon, if there is any here in the UK!! - for a couple of weeks and hope for the best.  

Btw I use raw chickpeas for my falafel.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 17, 2013)

acerbicacid said:


> I add the spices to the jar with the turnips plus 1 unpeeled garlic clove to each jar. I also add ½ cup vinegar with only 2 cups of the water (not sure if this is authentic but I like it). The beetroot is sliced and used raw, it makes the pickle a brilliant wonderful pink . I have never actually tried to eat the beetroot, I think it is just for natural colour, but I do have a recipe that uses raw beetroot in a stack but I wasn't too keen.
> 
> As for how long the sun is needed, I just leave it on the kitchen window sill - it gets the sun in the afternoon, if there is any here in the UK!! - for a couple of weeks and hope for the best.
> 
> Btw I use raw chickpeas for my falafel.


 
I hadn't spotted that you were a fellow Brit!  And I was wondering about just how much sun my pickle jar would get on my kitchen windowsill!    

I think I will add a little vinegar to my version too.


----------



## Addie (Aug 17, 2013)

mudbug said:


> Django, a blender should work just fine as long as you've softened them up overnight in water as recommended above.


 
To get back on subject, grind them in the blender in small amounts. You may have to do it several times with small loads. When you use a blender you need to add liquid. Since the recipe says no liquid until after all the chick peas have been ground, then you *must* do them in small batches to get the best results.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 17, 2013)

Addie said:


> And grind them in the blender in small amounts. You may have to do it several times with small loads. When you use a blender you need to add liquid. Since the recipe says no liquid until after all the chick peas have been ground, then you must do them in small batches.


 
I'll have no choice about doing it in batches as it happens Addie, since I only have a mini blender!


----------



## Addie (Aug 17, 2013)

KatyCooks said:


> I'll have no choice about doing it in batches as it happens Addie, since I only have a mini blender!


 
If you have a food processor, small or large, you could use that. I am fortunate in that I have both.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 17, 2013)

Addie said:


> If you have a food processor, small or large, you could use that. I am fortunate in that I have both.


 

Nope, no food processor either - I am very deprived!


----------



## Addie (Aug 17, 2013)

KatyCooks said:


> Nope, no food processor either - I am very deprived!


 
Oh dear. My heart goes out to you. Over the years, if it plugged in, I just had to have it. Now that I live alone, I don't use most of the equipment I have. I have given a lot of it to my oldest son. He cooks for himself and loves it. Along with all the toys I have given him. Right now he has his eye on my mixer and food saver. Unfortunately, I still use them both. But I am thinking of giving him my mandolin. I never use it any more. Too much bother to drag out. I can do it faster with a knife. He can also have my deep fryer. I have two frying pans that don't get used very much. And the deep fryer, never.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 17, 2013)

Addie said:


> Oh dear. My heart goes out to you. Over the years, if it plugged in, I just had to have it. Now that I live alone, I don't use most of the equipment I have. I have given a lot of it to my oldest son. He cooks for himself and loves it. Along with all the toys I have given him. Right now he has his eye on my mixer and food saver. Unfortunately, I still use them both. But I am thinking of giving him my mandolin. I never use it any more. Too much bother to drag out. I can do it faster with a knife. He can also have my deep fryer. I have two frying pans that don't get used very much. And the deep fryer, never.


 

I have a mandolin which I use every so often.   It's quite useful if you need really thin slices (but that is not all that often really).   I have no deep fat fryer (and wouldn't use it much if I did).  I have about 10 frying pans though! 

I have a pressure cooker which I have only used about 3 times since I got it as a present last Christmas, but I plan to use it more, along with my slow cooker.   I must say, I do rather like kitchen gadgets!


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 17, 2013)

By the way, and just to get back on track for the thread - I have noticed people using the term "raw" chickpeas. Can I assume that this is the same as "dried"?  (Which is what I have).


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 24, 2013)

Tomorrow I will be making the beetroot-coloured, pickled turnips.   

Obviously that will need at least 2 weeks to "mature" before I can have my final try at falafel. So cunningly, I have planned a meal for tomorrow that also involves root vegetables - Roast chicken legs with roasted beetroot, carrot and potato, served with a very interesting looking poppy seed sauce.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 26, 2013)

Well, I made a jar of pickled turnips as planned.  It certainly looks pretty!  Let's hope it tastes nice in a couple of weeks.


----------



## CharlieD (Aug 27, 2013)

Wow, 10 frying pans, even I have less. What kind of pans do you have? As far as kitchen toys, I love them and sugest to everybody to have as many as possible.


----------



## KatyCooks (Aug 27, 2013)

What can I say?  Some gals collect shoes, I apparently collect frying pans!    All sorts, shallow, deep, non-stick, not non-stick, omelette, griddle - you can never have enough frying pans!  

One of my favourite "toys" is one of the simplest though - a potato ricer.  It makes marvellous fluffy mashed potato with none of that annoying mashing required!    

What's yours CharlieD?


----------



## CharlieD (Aug 27, 2013)

Hard to say, I have two food processors, I have a stand up mixer, I have semi Comercial meat grinder, I have 9 frying pans and a whole bunch of pots. I have a deep fryer that I've stop using because I bought a pot with a basket insert for deep frying. I have 2 juicers I have 20 or 25 knives. Now multiply some of that stuff by 2 or 3 because I keep kosher I have separate stUff for dairy and meat sides of the kitchen plus I have a separate Passover kitchen, don't ask. I've spend thousands on my kitchen toys. I guess if I had to choose I'd say that I love my stand up kitchen aid mixer the most.


----------



## Addie (Aug 27, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> Hard to say, I have two food processors, I have a stand up mixer, I have semi Comercial meat grinder, I have 9 frying pans and a whole bunch of pots. I have a deep fryer that I've stop using because I bought a pot with a basket insert for deep frying. I have 2 juicers I have 20 or 25 knives. Now multiply some of that stuff by 2 or 3 because I keep kosher I have separate stUff for dairy and meat sides of the kitchen plus I have a separate Passover kitchen, don't ask. I've spend thousands on my kitchen toys. I guess if I had to choose I'd say that I love my stand up kitchen aid mixer the most.



When I lived in Chelsea, the next town over, 95% of the residents were Jewish. Keeping a Kosher home gets to be very expensive. Two of everything.

I just remembered a story that my mother told me. When she was a young girl, the family next door was Orthodox Jew. On Friday, she would go in at a set time on Friday and shut off their lights and do any other chore that needed doing. Sometimes there were some chores in the kitchen that needed to be finished. The wife stood over her to make sure she put the pots and dishes where they were to go. It wasn't until years later that she understood the whole meaning of "Keeping Kosher" meant. But they wouldn't pay her until Saturday. That too was part of Keeping Kosher.


----------



## CharlieD (Aug 28, 2013)

That is pretty much it. But the main expense actually not the pots but food itself. For example we awe paying $4.20 for a half gallon of milk. BTW this is another reason my diet is so messed up. The prices sometimes simply do not allow to have more meat or fish per meal.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 28, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> That is pretty much it. But the main expense actually not the pots but food itself. For example we awe paying $4.20 for a half gallon of milk. BTW this is another reason my diet is so messed up. The prices sometimes simply do not allow to have more meat or fish per meal.


Fruit and vegis aren't very expensive.


----------



## Addie (Aug 28, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> That is pretty much it. But the main expense actually not the pots but food itself. For example we awe paying $4.20 for a half gallon of milk. BTW this is another reason my diet is so messed up. The prices sometimes simply do not allow to have more meat or fish per meal.



Charlie, I can understand completely. There is a secret to that also. Portion control. Small portions of fish or meat and larger helpings of the veggies. Also use smaller plates. Your plate will look full even though you are serving less food. Do you eat on dinner plates? Get some luncheon plates. They are smaller. And make sure they have a wide rim on them. I use a salad plate myself. If someone came in and stole all my dinner plates, it may be years before I noticed they were gone. I use them only to put a cake on so I can frost it and send it on its way to someone else's house. Smaller glasses of milk for yourself. Pour glasses of water before everyone sits down to eat. You would be surprised to see the kids reaching for the water once the milk glass is empty. Or save the milk for dessert. 

Also let your family know that you have to make changes in your diet. You would be surprised at how much they care and are willing to help you stay on your new diet.


----------



## Roll_Bones (Nov 11, 2013)

I started a thread (http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/falafels-87808.html)
 on falafel's before I found this one.  This thread has me going in the right direction.
First, the debate on canned vs dried chick peas seems to be the issue.  I now can take something from my childhood and actually employ it today.

My father made Cuban fritters that originated from old Key West.  They are pronounced (boy - eat - toes). 
I now see the direct relationship between this fritter and the falafel.  It seems we have cousins here.

The Bouyitos (boy-eat-toes) were made with dried, soaked, black eyed peas that have been shelled, ground, and mixed with garlic, hot peppers and salt and pepper.
These are deep fried in spoonfuls and served with beer and hot sauce. Bar food if you will.

No baking powder was used I think. My father is gone now so I cannot ask him.
But I do know he whipped the ground up mixture into a batter with a spoon.  It expanded the batter and added air. I must assume this process is the reason they help together in the hot oil.
He used an electric skillet with about 2 inches of oil.

I now am in agreement that the falafel must originate from dried chick peas soaked overnight.

Anyone interested in how you peel black eyed peas?


----------



## taxlady (Nov 11, 2013)

I'd love to hear how one peels black eyed peas.


----------



## Roll_Bones (Nov 11, 2013)

taxlady said:


> I'd love to hear how one peels black eyed peas.



Okay. Only because you asked!  

Back in the day, before food processors were made, my father had a hand cranked corn grinder.  The kind you attach to the edge of a table.  It had a screw handle to tighten it down.

The grinder could be set, by adjusting the space between the two grinding wheels depending on the grind you needed. From course to fine.

He would set the wheels to the maximum open position and grind the dried black eyed peas into little pieces. I guess you could say he just cracked them.

He would put them out them in a big pot of water and let them soak while he occasionally stirred them up with his hands.  Massaging them a little.
As he did this on and off, the skins would float to the top.
They would be skimmed off with a small strainer.
This would go on until they were all perfectly "off" white.  Once the skin is gone, the black spot is gone to.  This when you know they are all peeled/skinned.
They stayed in the water like beans for processing the next day.


----------



## Addie (Nov 11, 2013)

That sounds like a very happy childhood memory.


----------



## taxlady (Nov 11, 2013)

Thanks Bones

I wonder where one would find a hand cranked grinder like that nowadays. I used to have a small one for grinding spices. It was da bomb. My ex got it.


----------



## Addie (Nov 11, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Thanks Bones
> 
> I wonder where one would find a hand cranked grinder like that nowadays. I used to have a small one for grinding spices. It was da bomb. My ex got it.


That's an easy one to answer. Amazon.com: corn grinder mill

Amazon has every thing.


----------



## taxlady (Nov 11, 2013)

Addie said:


> That's an easy one to answer. Amazon.com: corn grinder mill
> 
> Amazon has every thing.


Thanks Addie. I forgot about Amazon. I have checked before, but I searched for spice grinders and didn't find anything along the lines I wanted. Lots fewer choices on Amazon.ca and they cost a fair bit more.


----------



## Addie (Nov 11, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Thanks Addie. I forgot about Amazon. I have checked before, but I searched for spice grinders and didn't find anything along the lines I wanted. Lots fewer choices on Amazon.ca and they cost a fair bit more.



I always forget (how could I? Shame on me!) that we have neighbors right next door in .ca  Someday I will learn and remember. I apologize. Just blame it on old age. At my age, I blame every thing on old age. Only because I can get away with a lot that way.


----------



## taxlady (Nov 11, 2013)

Addie said:


> I always forget (how could I? Shame on me!) that we have neighbors right next door in .ca  Someday I will learn and remember. I apologize. Just blame it on old age. At my age, I blame every thing on old age. Only because I can get away with a lot that way.


No apology needed. You gave me ideas of where to search and for better search terms.


----------



## Roll_Bones (Nov 12, 2013)

Addie said:


> That sounds like a very happy childhood memory.



It was Addie. I got my desire to cook from my father. Just like him, I am the cook in our house. I also do all the grocery shopping.
Now that we both (my wife and myself) have Steve's "grocery store" app, we should never be without.



taxlady said:


> Thanks Bones
> 
> I wonder where one would find a hand cranked grinder like that nowadays. I used to have a small one for grinding spices. It was da bomb. My ex got it.



Addie got it for us.  The one pictured is exactly like my fathers, accept his was probably 100 years old.  He got his from his mother.

Update: On facebook, there is a page for us old Miami people. It is here that I found the correct spelling and also a picture of the (boy-eat-toes).
They are actually "bollitos".
Made with ground, black eyed peas, garlic, hot pepper salt & pepper,


----------



## Roll_Bones (Jul 3, 2014)

Update:
I ran across some dried chick peas in Ingles Grocery store yesterday.  Made by Goya.
They were in the international isle.
This is why my wife could not find them. She only looked in the dried bean isle and would never ask anyone anything if her life depended on it.

So, I got em and no recipe.  Off to Google unless someone has one handy.

I am going to make pita pockets with them and stuff the falafel, lettuce, tomato and cucumber dressing.
Any other ideas as to toppings?

Also. Does Panera bread make pita bread.  The pita in the store seem hard and unappealing.


----------



## Addie (Jul 3, 2014)

Have you ever considered making your own pita bread? You can buy frozen bread dough in the freezer section and roll out your own, then bake. Won't get them any fresher. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pita-bread-recipe0.html

Skip the dough making part (you will already have your dough) and just follow the baking instructions.


----------



## Roll_Bones (Jul 3, 2014)

Addie said:


> Have you ever considered making your own pita bread? You can buy frozen bread dough in the freezer section and roll out your own, then bake. Won't get them any fresher.
> 
> Pita Bread Recipe : Food Network
> 
> Skip the dough making part (you will already have your dough) and just follow the baking instructions.



Not sure I understand?
I can buy pita bread dough?  If yes, thats what I will do.
I don't want to make the dough.


----------



## Addie (Jul 3, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> Not sure I understand?
> I can buy pita bread dough?  If yes, thats what I will do.
> I don't want to make the dough.



Yup! You will find it in the frozen foods department. You can use it for a lot of things. There are usually two loaves in the package. Thaw out one and keep the other one frozen until you need it. All pita is, is bread dough. Skip the part about making the dough. Go right to half way down the directions and start with the cutting the loaf into eight pieces and rolling out into a circle. Have your oven preheated to 450ºF.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 3, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> Not sure I understand?
> I can buy pita bread dough?  If yes, thats what I will do.
> I don't want to make the dough.



You can also make the dough in a bread machine, if you have one. That's what I do and it turned out great.


----------



## Mad Cook (Jul 3, 2014)

cliveb said:


> Hi, Django ( like Django Reinhardt, yeah?)!
> First thing about making falafel. You can't use canned chickpeas, as they are cooked. You have to soak dried chickpeas overnight (8 hours) then blend them to a rough paste.Raw chickpeas, in other words.  I'd also suggest blending the garlic and onion ( just a very little bit) with the chickpeas.
> the spices wouldn't have made any difference. Oh, and no water, unless your chickpea mixture is very very dry. If so, add just a little!
> Second point could be the temperature of the oil. I do not possess a thermometer, nor a deep fryer, so my test is do drop a tiny bit of the mixture in the oil before I start frying. If it bubbles and rises immediately to the surface, then it's ready . Remember that, as you add the falafel to the oil, the temperature will drop, so you must be vigilant. Don't poke the falafel about until you're certain they are semi-crisp on the outside; ie. if you start poking them before they're fried, they'll come apart.
> ...


Cliveb has taken the words out of my mouth. You can't use canned chick peas to make falafel for the reasons he says. To be fair to you, I've recently come across a couple of recipes for falafel in magazines (one written by someone famous who ought to know better!) which listed canned chick peas in the ingredients so it's not surprising you fell into the trap.

Never mind. Write it down to experience and continue experimenting.

Welcome to DC, by the way. One of the reasons we're here is to help each other out when we get stuck with our cooking.


----------



## Roll_Bones (Jul 4, 2014)

Addie said:


> Yup! You will find it in the frozen foods department. You can use it for a lot of things. There are usually two loaves in the package. Thaw out one and keep the other one frozen until you need it. All pita is, is bread dough. Skip the part about making the dough. Go right to half way down the directions and start with the cutting the loaf into eight pieces and rolling out into a circle. Have your oven preheated to 450ºF.



So the dough is regular white bread dough or does it say "pita bread dough" on the package?
I buy the Bridgeford (3 loaf pack) ready frozen dough on occasion.  Is this what you mean?
And I do have concern it may not be available in my area.

Thanks


----------



## Addie (Jul 4, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> So the dough is regular white bread dough or does it say "pita bread dough" on the package?
> I buy the Bridgeford (3 loaf pack) ready frozen dough on occasion.  Is this what you mean?
> And I do have concern it may not be available in my area.
> 
> Thanks



That's it. Use the Bridgeford dough. Pita dough and bread dough same thing.


----------



## Roll_Bones (Jul 5, 2014)

Addie said:


> That's it. Use the Bridgeford dough. Pita dough and bread dough same thing.



So the dough makes it own pocket?  Like true Indian pitas?  Puff up like pillows?
Or do you just use the whole round?  Like a taco shell or tortilla?

I want to stuff the pita's.


----------



## Addie (Jul 5, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> So the dough makes it own pocket?  Like true Indian pitas?  Puff up like pillows?
> Or do you just use the whole round?  Like a taco shell or tortilla?
> 
> I want to stuff the pita's.



Did you read any of the directions in the link I sent to you? It tells you how to cut the loaf of bread and how to roll them out. Yes, they do puff up. But read the second half of the link. Skip the part of making the dough. You only need to read on what to do once the dough is made. And you already will have the dough.


----------



## Roll_Bones (Jul 6, 2014)

Addie said:


> Did you read any of the directions in the link I sent to you? It tells you how to cut the loaf of bread and how to roll them out. Yes, they do puff up. But read the second half of the link. Skip the part of making the dough. You only need to read on what to do once the dough is made. And you already will have the dough.



You got me Addie!
I only skimmed the recipe in the link.  I will read it thoroughly.
Appreciate the help.


----------



## Mad Cook (Jul 6, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> Update:
> I ran across some dried chick peas in Ingles Grocery store yesterday.  Made by Goya.
> They were in the international isle.
> This is why my wife could not find them. She only looked in the dried bean isle and would never ask anyone anything if her life depended on it.
> ...


They are until you warm them


----------

