Currently cooking from: Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Serves: 2 (makes roughly 12 falafels/ or 4-6 patties)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 3-5 minutes
Total cost: $1.46/ person
Budget leftover for beer: $18.54

Ingredients

• 1 (8oz can) chickpeas-drained, rinsed & patted dry - $ 1.00
• 6-8 broccoli florets-chopped - $0.75
• 1/4 large carrot-chopped - $0.03
• 4 cloves garlic- minced - $0.10
• 1/2 small white onion- diced - $0.30
• 1/4 cup dry rolled oats - $0.25
• 1/4 cup (roughly) breadcrumbs- $0.50

*note: you can make this recipe gluten-free simply by making sure the breadcrumbs you buy are gluten free, also be sure to check if there are any eggs/ dairy products in the ingredients of the breadcrumbs if you are vegan. If you're unable to find any vegan breadcrumbs you can simply add more oats, or 3-4 tbsp all purpose flour.

• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 tsp black pepper
• optional: sprinkle of chili flakes if you like some heat.
• optional: 1/3 cup cilantro

note: There are a lot of spices in this recipe, I know. You can avoid using oregano & parsley if you are using a breadcrumb that is seasoned. We found the best/tastiest one here in Central America, and of course as I am writing this post I can't remember the brand. Typical.

Instructions

Before you begin, if you don’t have access to a blender finely chop all ingredients and steam until they become soft & mashable. Mash chickpeas & veggies together until you get a dough-like consistency. You may need to let the steamed veggies cool first and then use a cloth to squeeze out the excess water.

1. Add all vegetables (chickpeas, garlic, broccoli, carrot, onion) into blender, mix/ pulse until combined scraping down edges as needed. Keep blending until you get a nice crumby dough.
2. Stir in spices, taste and adjust accordingly. Slowly add in breadcrumbs & oats 1-2 tbsp at a time, making sure all ingredients are evenly combined and until the mixture is no longer wet.
3. Form dough into similar sized falafel so they all take roughly the same amount of time to fry.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat with 1-2 tsp of olive oil or enough to cover pan, and add in as many falafel that will fit comfortably into pan.
5. Cook for 2-3 minutes turning constantly so they cook evenly.
6. Once they start to get a nice golden color they are ready! If you want them a little crispier you can leave them longer.

serving suggestions:
- add falafels to a wrap with some hummus or tzatziki, and fresh vegetables.
- toss in favorite hot sauce, add to a wrap with some fresh vegetables and some ranch for a Falafel Buffalo Ranch Wrap"
- add to some pasta or spiralized zucchini noodles for spaghetti & "meatballs"
- add falafels into curries as a meat substitute.