Crispy Falafel Bowl

Ingredients

• 1.5 cans (15 oz each) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white rice
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons water for tahini sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the drained chickpeas dry with paper towels, pressing gently to remove excess moisture without crushing them.

2. 2

   Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about the size of pencil-tip dots.

3. 3

   Measure the white rice into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds, stirring gently with your fingers.

4. 4

   In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat, then add the rinsed rice and 0.5 teaspoon of salt.

5. 5

   Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer until the rice is tender and all water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

6. 6

   While rice cooks, pour tahini into a small bowl, add the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water, then whisk until smooth and pourable.

7. 7

   Taste the tahini sauce and stir in a pinch of salt if needed; set aside at room temperature.

8. 8

   Add the chickpeas, minced garlic, parsley, flour, 0.5 teaspoon of salt, and 0.25 teaspoon of pepper to a food processor.

9. 9

   Pulse the mixture 12–15 times, stirring between pulses, until the texture resembles coarse wet sand with small pea-sized chickpea pieces visible.

10. 10

    Scoop the mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each between your palms into a ball roughly the size of a golf ball.

11. 11

    Fill a medium skillet with 0.75 inch of neutral oil and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 2 minutes.

12. 12

    Working in two batches, gently place 4 falafel balls into the hot oil and fry until the exterior is deep golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch.

13. 13

    Remove the falafel with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate and lightly sprinkle with salt while still hot.

14. 14

    Divide the cooked rice between two bowls, mounding it in the center of each bowl.

15. 15

    Place 4 warm falafel balls on top of each mound of rice.

16. 16

    Drizzle 2 tablespoons of tahini sauce over the falafel and rice in each bowl.

Tools you’ll need

• medium pot with lid
• fine-mesh strainer
• small bowl
• whisk
• food processor
• medium skillet (10-inch or larger)
• slotted spoon
• paper towels
• two serving bowls

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