Nohut Köftesi Recipe
Nohut Köftesi
Turkish Falafel (Chickpea Fritters)
Submitted By: Taz
Ingredients:
2 Cups Dried Chickpeas (Nohut) - DO NOT SUBSTITUTE CANNED!
1 Small Red Onion (Soğan) - rough chopped
1 Bunch Fresh Flat leaf Parsley (Maydanoz)- thick stems removed and rough chopped
1 Bunch Fresh Mint (Taze Nane) - thick stems removed and rough chopped
6 cloves Fresh Garlic (Sarımsak)- rough chopped
Kosher Salt (Tuz) to taste
2 tsp Cumin Seed (Kimyon Tohumu)
1 Tbs Coriander Seed (Kişniş Tohumu)
2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper (Karabiber) - or to taste
1 tsp Baking Powder (Kabartma Tozu)
2-3 Cups Oil for frying - can use canola, sunflower, safflower, or grape seed
-OPTIONAL-
1 tsp Aleppo Pepper (Halep Biberi)
Substitute Fresh Coriander [Cilantro] (Kişniş) for the parsley
Substitute Fresh Dill (Dereotu) for the mint
Preparation:
- Place the yogurt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth - Add the olive oil and continue to whisk Rinse your chickpeas thoroughly in cold water - Place in a large bowl or container and add enough cold water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches - Allow to soak overnight (12 hours minimum -up to 24 hours)
- Once beans have soaked, drain and rinse thoroughly - Let them sit in sieve or colander for 10 minutes to drain off as much water as possible - Transfer to the work bowl of a blender or food processor equipped with chopping blade
- Add the remaining ingredients (minus frying oil) to the work bowl of the blender/food processor and pulse (scraping down the sides as needed) into a slightly coarse paste (mixture should be 'coarse' but not 'pebbly' OR smooth) - Make sure that the mixture sticks together like a dough (add a little water if mixture is too dry and crumbles OR add some chickpea flour if mixture is too wet and ‘squishy’)
- Cover and transfer to the refrigerator and allow to rest for 1 hour before proceeding
- You can divide the mixture into equal portions and roll into a ball (about the size of a ping-pong ball - larger or smaller to your liking) and leave them as balls OR press them into patties OR you can ‘roll out’ the mixture to apx ½ inches thick and use a falafel press to form falafels - Place your formed falafels on a plate or tray in a single layer and place in the refrigerator for a minimum 1 hour (this will help them hold together when frying)
- Heat 2-3 inches of cooking oil in a small/medium skillet, saucepan, or wok over medium-high heat to 350ºF - Gently and carefully place 4-5 falafel at a time into the oil and fry 2-3 minutes to a side until crispy and medium brown in color
- Transfer to a draining rack or absorbent paper and repeat until you have the desired number of falafel or until the mixture is exhausted
- Serve hot along with some Turkish Yogurt Sauce (Cacık) and Turkish Flatbread (Bazlama) or pita as part of your mezze table - Add some rice and a salad for a light meal, or serve as part of a larger Turkish meal
