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Hey friends, you have reached one of my all time favorite recipes.
Falafel- A common middle eastern dish. The dish that goes through an identity crisis as every country claims that falafel was originated in their country and they make the tastiest falafel .
Falafel is a universal dish just like burger found in almost all the places . Since this is a universal dish liked and loved by all , Let me put my history cap and ask my readers a trivia question “Where did Falafel originate?”
Any guesses 3… 2…. 1….the correct answer is Egypt!!!
But falafel is a food that has become so widespread and popular, crossing multiple national and cultural boundaries, relished and equally enjoyed by everyone throughout the Middle East, embraced throughout the world. Though I have tasted the best falafel so far in Amman, Jordan, I actually want to visit Egypt and taste the falafel right from its origin!
But I became a fan of falafel after sampling different varieties throughout my travel in Jordan. They have falafel made from Fava beans, chickpeas , stuffed falafel and many more. We ended up eating falafel’s for breakfast!! Who would say no to it when it’s readily available.. Right? So Yummy! ! I would never forget the flavorful falafel’s ever. I have almost tried to replicate the recipe below!
When falafel is made the traditional way, is indeed a vegan food, it’s a great source of protein for people who have cut meat out of their diet. It’s relatively low in fat and has no cholesterol if you fry it in heart-healthy oil. And if you top it with veggies in a pita, it becomes a filling and nourishing meal!
To start with , soak the dry chick peas for about 7 hours in room temperature. This is the simplest way. But if you want to make the falafel impromptu and don’t have 7 hours to spare then here is the solution. Quickly boil the chickpeas and set them aside covered to soak for an hour. The chickpeas should be tender enough to break apart with your fingers, but still have a crunch to them.
Tip: Never use canned chickpeas because they are cooked and we do not want cooked chickpeas for falafel recipe.
I love adding lot of herbs to falafel, it gives nice color to it and also its very refreshing and flavorful. I have used lots of parsley, dill and cilantro as my green herbs – this trio of spices is what gives falafel it’s bold authentic taste. For spices I have added cumin powder and cayenne pepper. Some garlic, onion and lemon juice to enhance the palate with of course most important ingredient chick peas!
Falafel can be eaten as is or with Hummus , Tzatziki, Tahini. I like to stuff all these with some veggies in a pita and make a veggie loaded falafel pita pocket!
Get up go make them and let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and rate the recipe. I am waiting to hear back from you!!
Other Middle Eastern dishes you may like
Lemon Cilantro Lentil soup
Muhammara
Hummus
Tzatziki
Enjoy the Falafel!
Falafel
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FLAVOR METER
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Chickpeas Soaked for 7 hours
- 1 Onion Coarse chopped
- 1 Cup Parsley Coarse chopped
- 1/4 Cup Dill Coarse chopped
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro Coarse chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Tsp Cumin powder
- 2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 Tsp Baking soda
- 2 Cups Oil For frying
- 2 Tsp Salt Add more according to taste
Instructions
- Soak: Soak Chickpeas with water and let it soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak.
- Prepare: Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. Pour chickpeas into food processor add chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, dill, cilantro, salt, cumin powder, cayenne pepper and lemon juice
- Process: Pulse all ingredients together to form rough coarse. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and pulse to get fine course. Do not over do it we do not want to make as paste.
- Transfer: Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl
- Refregirate: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or put it in a box and refrigerate for an hours. Usually cold mixture binds together well and easily workable. (You can skip this if you do not have time)
- Add soda: Dissolve 1 tsp of baking soda in 1 tbsp of water and mix it into the falafel mixture after it has been refrigerated
- Heat oil: Fill frying pan with oil just enough to submerge the falafels. Let the oil heat up.
- Make the balls: Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop.
- Optional: If the balls won't hold together, add 1 tbsp of chickpea flour. This should fix any issues you are having.
- Test: Before frying my first batch of falafel, add 1 falafel in the center of the pan to test. If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again.
- Fry: When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.
- Remove: Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.
- Drain excell oil: Let them drain on paper towels. Serve the falafels fresh and hot.
- Serve: Serve Falafel. They go best with a plate of hummus or Tzatziki. You can also stuff them into a Pita.
Notes
- Never use canned chickpeas, canned chickpeas are cooked and we do not want to cook chick peas for falafel recipe.
- Can store the mixture for 3-4 days in fridge or can be frozen for up to a month. If you freeze it then just keep the mixture outside in room temperature for about an hour before frying.
Happy cooking
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