Falafels with bean + corn salsa

Chef, Mike Ward shares his delicious falafel recipe and pairs it with a to-die-for bean and corn salsa.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

  1. Combine chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder in a food processor. Process all ingredients together until you get a rough meal.
  2. Transfer the mixture into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Make sure to scrape down the sides periodically to ensure an even mixture. Be careful not to over-process or you will get a puree!
  3. Pulse rinsed chickpeas in the food processor and coarsely process. Like in previous step, ensure you scrape down the sides of the processor periodically and do not make a puree.
  4. Transfer this coarsely blended mixture to the mixing bowl containing the previously prepared ingredients. Be sure to not over process or your final mixture will be too heavy and falafels may not cook properly in the center. For best results, process the chickpeas in 2 or 3 batches.
  5. Using your hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients until you get an evenly distributed mixture.
  6. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder (optional) evenly over the surface of the mixture. Incorporate this into the falafel mixture.
  7. Roll small portions of the falafel mixture to form falafel balls.
  8. Heat cooking oil to 374°F (190°C) and cook falafels in batches until golden brown. It is always good to cook a tester falafel first, just to ensure your oil is hot enough. If the oil is below the temperature specified your falafels will break up into a coarse mess within your fryer.
  9. When cooked, transfer your falafels to paper towels to absorb the oil. Let cool before serving.

Salsa

  • This can be a wide variety of frozen corn and canned black beans combined with fresh tomato, onion, cilantro, lemon juice and olive oil.