If you love falafel as much as we do, you know it’s hard to improve on this favorite. But we just may have done so with this fun twist on tradition. We tested this recipe about a half a dozen times until we achieved the perfect consistency and flavor.
To add the nutty, earthy taste characteristic of falafel, we use chickpea flour along with wheat flour in the batter. Chickpea flour is a wonderful plant-based protein that is high in fiber and a good source of iron! But don’t worry about these being too dense: To help make the waffles airier, we use self-rising flour and add seltzer water instead of regular water. We love to serve these savory waffles for brunch, topped with spicy Israeli salsa or any classic Israeli-style chopped salad.
Notes: If you don’t have seltzer water on hand, increase the amount of baking powder by ½ teaspoon. Be sure to generously grease the waffle iron with cooking spray or olive oil.
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Excerpted from Tahini & Turmeric: 101 Middle Eastern Classics—Made Irresistibly Vegan by Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox. Copyright ©2018. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground
- black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup seltzer water
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin
- olive oil
- Cooking spray or olive oil, for waffle iron
Special equipment: waffle iron
Directions
- Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- In a large bowl, combine the self-rising and chickpea flours, baking powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, allspice, garlic powder, pepper, and salt and mix well. Add the seltzer water and olive oil and mix until all the ingredients are just incorporated.
- Coat the waffle iron generously with cooking spray or olive oil.
- Spread with 1/3 cup of batter per waffle, close the iron, and let the waffle cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it releases easily from the iron. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, making sure to grease the iron before cooking each batch.
- Serve warm.
