Falafels are more than just a source of sustenance, they are a prime example of vegetarian (or vegan) cuisine. Falafels don’t imitate meat-based products: they’re not shaped like steaks or flavored like sausage, or called some dreadful name like “un-friend non-chicken”. Falafels are their own creature and, conveniently, not a living one. It’s also a cool word, though potentially a cruel word if you slur and lisp like Sylvester the Cat. Their unique design stems from a dense core of ground chickpeas mixed with a host of flavors and spices, and then they’re generally fried for good measure. They will leave you full and satisfied, and not missing meat in the least. Falafels are best served with homemade hummus and fresh vegetables (all shoved into a pita if you’re on the go). Of course the Peanut Butter Boy doesn’t make “normal” hummus, I don’t really make “normal” anything. I should also point out that other than the fresh veggies on the side, all required ingredients for this recipe can be kept on hand and stored in your cabinet which makes for a great backup meal when the rain begins to pour or the funds are getting low.
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Falafel
1 cup garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
1/2 tsp + pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp parsley flakes
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup hot water
1T olive oil
Peanut Butter Hummus
3/4 cup garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour OR 1 (29oz) can chickpeas
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4t lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/4 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1T olive oil, plus more as needed
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Hummus – If using chickpea flour, bring 2.5 cups of water to a boil on medium heat. Whisk the garbanzo bean flour into the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium low and continue cooking for 5 minutes, then turn heat off and let cool. Add this mixture (or a 29oz can of drained, rinsed chickpeas) to a food processor or blender along with the garlic, vegetable broth (or water), peanut butter, lemon juice, olive oil and hot sauce and puree until smooth. Then add the cumin, salt and pepper. Check and taste the hummus for consistency. If it is too thick, restart the machine and slowly add olive oil to the mixture until desired consistency is reached. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour for flavors to mingle. Taste to see if more lemon juice, salt or pepper is needed.
Falafel – Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add the lemon juice and hot water and stir until combined. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. In a frying pan, heat oil on medium-high heat until hot OR pre-heat a grill. Take a large spoon and scoop the batter into the pan (or brush patties with olive oil and grill), using the back of the spoon to shape into a patty, or make traditional smaller-sized falafel balls. Once the bottom is golden brown (2-3 minutes), flip over and cook until browned (1-2 minutes). Makes 5 large falafel patties (as pictured) or numerous small ones.
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I really like hummus that incorporates peanut butter. Here’s a spiced up version with jalapenos and lime that I make fairly often: http://www.kitchencourage.com/2009/08/kickin-hummus.html
Wow, that’s all the peanut butter you need? I gotta try your version, it sounds better than mine (shhh…).
Hehe cool. Let me know what you think! I’m sure it can be improved by a peanut butter expert! :)
Wow, I’ve never heard of making hummus from chickpea flour! Even without the addition of peanut butter, this is such an ingenious recipe!
Yup! It’s nice to have the chickpea flour on hand, not only for hummus but also the falafels as well as chickpea naan you can make easily!
Sounds amazing Nick. I love falafels, hummus, and peanut butter. So, why not eat them all together? ;)
Agreed. Somehow the earthiness of peanut butter just goes so well with this type of food…
ok I’m in! Must make this. I’ve thought about it, debated it, and now I see it and must have it.
Peanut butter hummus is an abnormality that I can be happy with. very. Happy. Sounds amazing!
How interesting that you use chickpea flour in both instead of cooked chickpeas. Is there an advantage to doing so? Either way, falafel + hummus + PB = win.
Not sure. The only difference I can see is that the falafels were super easy to make (the hummus a little less so) and you can control the moisture level better this way so your falafel batter is easy to work with. Plus, there’s an almost grittiness to falafels that I enjoy and the flour seems to better achieve that!
OMG what a great idea for hummus! Awesome, PB Boy!
Thank you Chef Aimee!
wow..I would have never thought..peanut butter hummus!
This looks incredible!
hummus with chickpea flour? interesting, although i don’t know why it strikes me as strange ;) just habit i guess! fabulous combo nonetheless!
Haha, well I guess it’s just as easy to use chickpeas. Using chickpea flour for the falafels makes sense because it allows you to better control the moisture level and therefore the consistency, to make them stiffer or runnier as necessary to hold their shape. But it was a bit annoying to have to make hummus that way, bringing the mixture to a boil, etc… I just had the chickpea flour on hand so I gave it a try =).
Looks good – I’ve tried swapping tehina for PB before and it didn’t work out, but your recipe/ratios are different. I should try it again.
Yes you should!
where in Canada are you? while not a canadian recipe, falafel and shawarma have pretty much become a regional, if not national dish around Ottawa/Montreal!
Right now we’re in Quebec City. We stopped in Montreal for a day to break up the drive and we have been to Montreal before, but I don’t recall seeing many falafel places around. It’s our last day today, so I’ll look for them today! Doubt they’ll have peanut butter hummus though =)
Welcome to Canada!
Thanks, Canada was great! And once I started looking for them, there were a few falafel places in Quebec! So it’s entirely un-Canadian I suppose =)
One word necessary: YUM!!
Hey I just made pork and beans/peanut butter falafel!! I didn’t have chick peas or the flour but had a real hankering and had a real old can of pork and beans in the pantry. So I figured why not??!!
Didn’t even drain and rinse the beans(yeah I’m a little perverse that way). Just mashed em up, added cumin, coriander, fresh garlic & lemon juice. Used about 1/2-2/3 cup brown rice flour and a large egg. Mixed it altogether and added natural peanut butter til I got the right consistency. Dropped by spoonbills onto hot oiled skillet. Pretty good if I do say so myself!!
Haha wow, not even close to a falafel, but it still sounds pretty darn good! Even with all that bean juice it wasn’t too liquidy? Sounds like a darn good Greek-inspired veggie burger!