Falafel!

This recipe is somewhat labor intensive but the result is delicious, healthy, and kid-friendly.  It's also vegan, incidentally, if that sort of thing matters to you  :)

So what is falafel, anyway?  Basically it's the middle eastern take on a hush puppy (that's how my wife described it after trying it for the first time) - a fried ball or patty made up of minced chickpeas, onion, garlic, and various spices.  A food processor is fairly essential for the construction, although you might be able to make it work with a grinder attachment to a stand mixer instead.

You can eat it as-is or make a sort of sandwich using pita bread.  Traditional condiments include lettuce, tomato, red onion and tahini or yogurt sauce.

Falafel with homemade pita bread and lemon-pepper-yogurt sauce

Software:
1 lb dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
1 small onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
large handful cilantro or parsley leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flake
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Hardware:
Food processor with blade attachment
large skillet or dutch oven for frying
1 qt neutral oil (such as grapeseed) for frying
draining rig (a cooling rack, a plate, and a couple of paper towels works fine)

Start by soaking the chickpeas in cold water overnight (12-24 hours).  Drain, and place in the work bowl of your food processor along with all the other ingredients.  Pulse repeatedly until the chickpeas are a coarse, well-chopped texture (there should still be visible pieces of bean, but small pieces.)  Shape into balls or patties and let rest while you heat the oil (at least an inch deep) to 350 degrees over medium high heat.

Fry the patties for 2-3 minutes per side, or until well browned.  Remove to draining rig to drain and cool. 

Some pro tips:
The tricky part of making falafel is that often the 'dough' will not want to form into anything, but rather will fall apart regardless of shaping.  If this happens it means that your mixture is too wet.  Place the pile of 'dough' in a tea towel and wring out over the sink (this is a fairly difficult thing to do without making a huge mess, so dress appropriately) - you will be surprised at how much water comes out! 

If the dough still resists forming, try adding a couple of tablespoons of flour, stirring to combine, waiting a few minutes, and trying again.  If you have chickpea flour (gram) it is an even more effective option.

If your falafel holds together pretty well, your oil should be good for at least one or two more frying sessions.  If they fall apart really badly, the burned debris will probably mean the oil should be thrown out.