Garbanzo Balls – Nohut Köftesi

Garbanzo Balls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (dry or canned)
  If you are going to use dry garbanzo beans, you need to soak them overnight! (see pictures below)
• 2 table spoons tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 table spoons all purpose flour
• 1 medium/large onion, grated
• 1 medium/large carrot, grated
• 4 table spoons sunflower seeds
• ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 table spoon dried oregano leaves
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil to fry

Yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1-2 table spoons water
• Salt to taste

Directions:

If you are using dry garbanzo beans, you need to prepare ahead. Soak them overnight. In a large pan, boil 5-6 cups of water, add soaked, drained garbanzo beans. Simmer until beans are tender. Drain and set aside. Cooked garbanzo beans freeze well, so you can cook them in large batches to save for later use.

If you are using canned beans, rinse and drain first, set aside.
Prepare yogurt sauce first since it needs to be chilled. In a small bowl, mix yogurt and crushed garlic, add water to obtain desired consistency. Add salt to taste. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. 

Place cooked garbanzo beans and tahini in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add water and pulse until smooth. It does not need to be creamy smooth. Place the mixture in a bowl. Add flour and mix well with a spoon. Add grated onion, carrots, sunflower seeds, herbs and spices to the mixture. Knead the mixture well for a few minutes, set aside.

Place vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat it over medium/high heat. Take a spoonful of the mixture, slide the mixture into the hot oil. Repeat this until you have a pan full of paddies, making sure they don't touch each oher. Fry until golden brown. Flip and fry the other side. Place fried garbanzo balls on a paper towel to drain the extra oil. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with yogurt sauce drizzled over the garbanzo balls.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Dry garbanzo beans soaked in water

Garbanzo beans soaked overnight ready to be cooked

Grated carrots

Onions, sunflower seeds, herbs and spices

Garbanzo beans - tahini mixture

Flour added to the mixture

All ingredients are mixed together

Spoonful of the mixture before dropped into hot oil

Garbanzo balls frying in oil

Garbanzo balls

Garbanzo Balls with Yogurt