Posted on: Wednesday, January 12, 2005
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LIGHT & LOCAL
Low-fat version of falafel a hit
By Carol Devenot
Falafel (fah LAH fel) is to the Middle East, and especially Israel, as hamburgers are to the United States — fast food found everywhere. These are little rounded cakes, patties or croquettes made from ground chickpeas, bulgur (steamed, dried and crushed whole-wheat kernels), herbs and spices. Each falafel stand has its own style and condiments: cucumbers, radishes, peppers, and alfalfa sprouts among them.
One difference is that this dish — made of ground garbanzos (aka chickpeas) blended with herbs and spices — is more nutritious than many of our common fast foods, and can readily become a low-fat dish if the chickpea cakes are broiled instead of fried.
Last week, I made this dish for out-of-town guests; they really enjoyed eating this low-fat version.
Gannett News Service After you process or blend the beans into a paste, you just have to mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Add more garlic cloves for a stronger garlic flavor. The cumin, coriander and peppers give the falafel its characteristic flavor. You really need the whole-wheat bread to hold it together.
After you shape the balls and flatten them with a spatula, broil them until they get crispy on both sides. Split a pocket bread in half and pass over the flame. I used to make up stories with my students about the nomads who traveled through the desert. They would have the dehydrated falafel in their pouches and would rehydrate the cakes with water and pass the pita bread over the open fire. That would be their dinner after a long trip through the desert.
You, too, can experience the same ambience with the luxury of modern appliances and fresh vegetables. In my next column, look for a recipe for tzatziki, a sauce that goes wonderfully with falafel, grilled vegetables or as a dip.
Flab You Less Falafel
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place bulgar in a mixing bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over; let stand for 30 minutes.
In the food processor or blender, purée the chickpeas. Add garlic, onion, chickpeas, lemon juice, cumin, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Purée for 1 minute. Drain the bulgur wheat, squeezing out excess moisture. Add to the processed mixture along with bread cubes and parsley. Process briefly. Place falafel mixture on a dinner plate and cut up into 12 sections (like 12 pie slivers). Roll one sliver at a time and shape into about 2-inch-by-1/2-inch-thick patties. Flatten the patties with a spatula.
Spray cookie sheet with olive-oil spray. Place the falafel patties on the sheet and spray the patties with olive-oil spray. Bake for 20 minutes turning halfway through, spraying the new side up. Then broil for 2 minutes per side or until golden and crispy.
Split a pocket bread in half and pass it over a flame. Fill each half with a falafel patty, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion and salsa. Instead of salsa, you also can use tzatziki, tahini, or low-fat ranch dressing. Leftover patties can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Serves 6.
• Per serving: 326 calories, 13 grams protein, 3 grams fat, 66 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams dietary fiber, 734 milligrams sodium: 16 percent protein, 77 percent carbohydrates, 8 percent fat. Want a local recipe lightened up? Write: Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.
You'll find bulgur at health-food stores or in the health-food sections of large supermarkets. You can use canned garbanzos or boil or pressure-cook dried garbanzos. I ground up the garbanzo beans (chickpeas) in my food processor. If you don't have a processor, use a blender, working in smaller batches.
Use canned garbanzos or boil or pressure-cook dried garbanzos to make healthy falafel.
