Ajeen Beckford Falafel Recipes

HOW TO MAKE FALAFEL

Steps:

• (One day in advance) Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 18 hours (longer if the chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, drain the chickpeas completely and pat them dry.
• Add the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Run the food processor 40 seconds at a time until all is well combined forming a the falafel mixture.
• Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (up to one whole night) until ready to cook.
• Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and stir with a spoon.
• Scoop tablespoonfuls of the falafel mixture and form into patties (1/2 inch in thickness each). It helps to have wet hands as you form the patties.
• Fill a medium saucepan 3 inches up with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or so until crispy and medium brown on the outside. Avoid crowding the falafel in the saucepan, fry them in batches if necessary.
• Place the fried falafel patties in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Serve falafel hot next to other small plates; or assemble the falafel patties in pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato and cucumbers. Enjoy!

AJEEN BECKFORD LAHMA BI AJEEN

Steps:

• Mix all dough ingredients well. Knead for a few moments. Set aside to rest while preparing filling. Mix all the filling ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Since you will be preparing a large number of these, it makes sense to work on a large, clean surface. The kitchen table is perfect. Roll half the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a clean table. Use a glass, 2-2.5 inches in diameter to cut circles of dough. Place these circles on a well oiled baking sheet. Work the remaining dough into a ball, and roll it out to cut more circles. Keep combining the circle cutouts until you have used all the dough. Place 1.5 teaspoons filling on each circle. With a fork, carefully smooth filling to the edge of the circle. It's fine for the lahma bi ajeen to touch each other in the pan, but they cannot overlap.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, or until dough is just firm but not crisp.
• Serve with tehina and soup or salad for a first course.