looking for successful falafel and burger recipes

[jessaroo]

Hi

I am looking for tried and true recipes for falafel and burgers to make ahead of time and freeze for my husband to use when I am working.  I have tried a few different recipes for falafel and they have not come out well- they were both very sticky. 

Thanks.

[Comtessa]

I just buy dry falafel mix at a local Middle Eastern shop and hydrate as much as I need to make one meal's worth. Works OK for me, though a bit pricey I suppose.

Here's our family's recipe for black bean burgers.  It's great, very forgiving if you change ingredients/amounts, and they freeze and reheat well.

 Black Bean Burgers
(makes about 25 burgers)
 
Ingredients:
1 lb dry black beans (or 3 cans of black beans, drained & rinsed)
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, washed, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, coarsely chopped. (Retain seeds for a spicier burger, discard them for a milder flavor.)
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed well and coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup dry textured vegetable protein (TVP)  (you can substitute 2 cups of fresh or frozen, thawed TVP also - such as Boca Burger crumbles) 
1 cube vegetarian bouillon
1/2-1 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs
vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dry parsley flakes
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp powdered chipotle pepper (or more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
 

Directions:
 

Cook beans.  Our method:

1) rinse beans and leave to soak overnight in a terracotta pot with a tight-fitting lid.
 
2) in the morning, drain beans and rinse well.  Cover with fresh water in the same pot and bring to a boil over a low flame.  
 
3) when the beans are boiling, cover tightly and lower the pot into a "witch oven" to cook.  (The witch oven consists of the following.  Into a large cardboard box, lay several layers of old blankets, rags, or towels.  On top of this, set down several thick layers of newspaper.  The clay pot is lowered onto this bed of newspaper, and extra layers of newspaper are tucked tightly around the top, with more rags or blankets tucked in on top.  The insulation keeps the heat inside the pot, and the beans cook on their own without extra energy.)  Leave the beans in the witch oven until cooked (about 5-8 hours). 

You can also cook the beans in a crockpot or stovetop, of course.
 
4) Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. 
 
5) Dissolve bouillon in 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid.  Add 3/4 cup of dry TVP and stir well.  Allow to soak 5-10 minutes until soft.  (If you are using a frozen or fresh TVP, omit this step.)   
 

5) In a food processor or blender, process the onion, garlic, green pepper, cilantro, and jalapeño until they are very finely chopped. 
 
6) Mash the beans with a potato masher until they are well squished.  Add chopped vegetables and TVP and mix well. 
 
7) Add cumin, chili powder, parsley, chipotle, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Adjust spices to taste.
 
8) Add eggs and stir well.
 
9) Add breadcrumbs a bit at a time, stirring.  Continue adding a bit at a time until the mixture sticks together fairly well. 
 
10) In a nonstick skillet, heat a very small amount of vegetable oil.  Form patties out of the bean mixture and cook over a low flame until the outside is dry and the patties are cooked through (about 3-5 minutes per side).  Don't rush this step.  High heat will make these fall apart.
 
Serve hot on buns with sliced sweet onion, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and chipotle mayo. 
 
To make this recipe vegan: eliminate eggs and increase the amount of breadcrumbs to help the mixture stick together. 
 
To make this recipe gluten-free: use crushed rice crackers or gluten-free breadcrumbs.  
 
 

[Shantimama]

My all time favourite felafel recipe is the one from The Joy of Cooking. It works perfectly every time. I usually freeze half the batter so I can pull it out to thaw in the morning for a quick meal another time.

[milktree]

my favorite blackbean burger is from veganomicon.  super easy, super delish.  if you google "veganomicon black bean burger recipe" it'll pop right up!  

[FitMOmmyOf2]

Originally Posted by Shantimama 

My all time favourite felafel recipe is the one from The Joy of Cooking. It works perfectly every time. I usually freeze half the batter so I can pull it out to thaw in the morning for a quick meal another time.

I tried this (for the first time ever, making falafel) and while the taste was delishious, they all fell apart while having them in 'falafel-form' so I had to turn them into patties..

[crunchy_mommy]

We use this recipe: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2565 (we sub corn flour for the bread crumbs to make it GF & use 1T ground flax + 3T water in place of the egg). It's really good with finely chopped carrots & spinach mixed in.