Popcorn and Falafel? - The lentil falafel
- tobiasghess
- May 14, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 24
Falafel are an absolute classic of oriental cuisine. With lots of spices and herbs, they are a great vegetarian dish and a real taste sensation for the tongue. In Israel, falafel is even considered the national dish and you can get it on virtually every street corner as street food served in fresh pita bread with hummus (chickpea cream) or baba ganoush (eggplant cream). The main ingredient in the classic recipes are the chickpeas. However, as you will see later, we at food for flexitarians will completely omit chickpeas from our recipe and replace them with yellow lentils. Now, if you're wondering how this is going to work, give our recipe a try. The end result will blow you away in terms of taste.
#Livehack: Falafel are also great to freeze.
Ingredients
100g sunflower oil
200g onions
70g garlic
400g corn on the cob (cooked)
12g ground cumin
24g ground brown mustard seeds
10g black pepper mix
50g white sesame seeds
60g popcorn
800g lentils
3 eggs
10g salt
About 3EL flour
12g coriander
12g parsley
For frying:
2l sunflower oil
Instructions
First we need to cook the yellow lentils according to the package instructions. In the meantime, peel the onions and garlic and cut them into brunoise. Next, pop the popcorn in the microwave. If you don't have a microwave, you can also toast the corn kernels in a pan. However, be careful and don't forget the lid.
Chop the corn into small pieces and squeeze out the juice a bit with your hands (we don't want the water in our crispy falafel). Once the lentils are cooked, drain them.
The next step is now to make the base mixture. To do this, we sweat the onion with the garlic until light. Then add the cooked lentils the popcorn and the corn and fry them a little.
Then add the cumin, brown mustard seeds, black pepper mixture and white sesame seeds. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Now chop the herbs and add them to the mixture. As a final step, add the eggs and flour to bind.
If the mixture is too watery, add some more flour.
The mixture is now ready and the balls can be formed. Then place a pot with oil. The ideal temperature for frying is 180 degrees. Bake the balls until nice and crispy brown. Last step ENJOY
Tip: Hummus or even Baba Ghanoush go great with the fried falafel.
Resumé
Great oriental dish that will make you crazy. Also ideal for freezing. Definitely give it a try. Looking forward to your comments. :)
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FAQ
Can I bake these falafel instead of frying them?
Yes, brush them with a little oil and bake at around 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, for a lighter version — not quite as crispy as fried, but still delicious.
What gives these falafel their unique popcorn twist?
Ground popcorn adds a subtly sweet, nutty crunch that's unusual for falafel but works surprisingly well alongside the lentils and warm spices.
Can I make this recipe vegan by removing the eggs?
Yes, you can replace the eggs with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water per egg) to help bind the mixture. The texture will be slightly denser but still holds.
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