Introduction
Falafel are crisp fried balls of ground chickpeas and herbs, green inside, eaten in pita bread with salad and tahini sauce, or on their own as a snack. They take some planning, as the chickpeas soak overnight, but the rest is quick.
Egypt makes them with dried fava beans and calls them ta’amiya; in the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Jordan) they are made with chickpeas, as here. They are one of the great street foods of the region. The secret is to use soaked dried chickpeas, never canned ones: cooked chickpeas make a paste that falls apart in the oil.
Ingredients
- 250 g dried chickpeas
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- a large bunch of parsley and a small bunch of coriander, with their stems
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- vegetable oil for frying, about 1 litre
- to serve: pita bread, salad, tahini mixed with lemon juice and water
Tools
- A food processor
- A medium saucepan, deep enough for frying, or a deep fryer
- A mixing bowl
- A slotted spoon and kitchen paper
Preparation
- The day before, cover the chickpeas with plenty of cold water and soak them for 18 to 24 hours. They will double in size.
- Drain the chickpeas well and dry them on a cloth. Put them in the food processor with the onion, garlic, herbs, spices and salt.
- Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand and holds together when you press it in your hand. Do not turn it into a smooth paste.
- Put it in the bowl and rest it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Just before frying, stir in the baking soda.
- Heat the oil to 175 °C. Without a thermometer, drop in a crumb of the mixture: it should sizzle at once and rise to the surface.
- Shape the mixture into balls the size of a walnut, pressing firmly. Fry them in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until deep brown, and drain them on kitchen paper.
- Serve hot, in pita bread with salad and tahini sauce.