Lentil Falafel

I love falafel, so when I went to a local vegetarian restaurant I couldn't resist when I saw a lentil falafel wrap on the menu. It was so delish I wanted to go home and attempt to make my own. To my surprise I could not find a recipe on zaar. So I went searching the internet and did some tweaking and found a wonderful recipe. These falafel have a very soft, creamy texture while still maintaining a traditional falafel flavor. These are a new favorite around here. Thanks to monkeydish.com for getting me headed in the right direction.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 20 falafel

Ingredients

• 4  cups  cooked lentils (I used green)
• 3⁄4 cup flour, divided (plus probably a little more)
• 2  teaspoons cumin, ground
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 -2  tablespoon lemon juice
•  salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1⁄2 cup  brown onion, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
• 2  large eggs
•  vegetable oil, for frying
•  warm  pita bread
•  tzatziki, sauce (you can find a great recipe on zaar )

Directions

1. 1. Place lentils, 1/4 cup flour, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and process until almost smooth. Add onion, parsley and eggs; process to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Check to see if the mixture can be somewhat formed into balls, if it needs more thickness, continue adding flour a little at a time until you can work with it. The mixture will remain soft and pudding-like, but you should be able to work with it. (If you do not have a food processor you can use a potato masher and elbow grease).
2. 2. Combine remaining 1/2 cup flour with salt and pepper to taste. Form lentil mixture into 1-1/2-in. balls; coat with seasoned flour. I found it helpful to coat my hands with the flour to form the balls and that was enough flour to make a nice brown crust on the falafels. Deep fry balls in 350°F oil 3-5 min., or until crisp but fluffy; drain and keep warm.
3. 3. Serve warm with pita and tzatziki. I also stuffed my pita with some spinach and shredded carrots and it was great. Get creative and use whatever veggies you have on hand.