Nutty Falafel Tenders

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups cooked and cooled chickpeas, liquid reserved
• 1 cup roasted almonds, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup crumbled saltine crackers
• 3 eggs (recommended) (optional)
• olive oil, as needed

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in large heavy frying pan over medium high heat.
• 2 fry onions until tender but not brown, stirring often.
• 3 place chickpeas and garlic in a large bowl and mash well.
• 4 stir in the fried onions, the spices, and the nuts and cracker crumbs.
• 5 add the eggs if you are using them and enough reserved fluid from cooking the chickpeas to make a very thick mixture, the consistency of meat for meatballs. if you are not using eggs the mixture will hold together better if you let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.
• 6 form balls about 1-2 inches in diameter, slightly flatten them, and drop them into the same frying pan that you cooked the onions in with enough oil to cover the bottom.
• 7 cook them for about five minutes to a side till they are browned and slightly crispy.