
Middle Eastern Experience - Homemade falafels
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish made from a mixture of chickpeas fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a small patties or balls.
It is quite common to see this dish served by street vendors and restaurants in almost every neighbourhood. It is often served in sandwich (quite often with pitta bread) with a generous helping of tahini and loads of fresh salads.
Step 1
Please note, dried chickpeas triple in size when cooked (if not a little bit more). So 1 cup of dried chickpeas will make about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.
- Place chickpeas in a large pan. Cover with 3 times their volume of cold water.
- Bring quickly to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and leave to soak for 1-2 hours.
- Drain. The legumes are now ready for cooking.
Step 2
Heat 1 table spoon of sunflower oil in a large pan. Fry the onion and garlic together over a low heat for 5 mins until they are soft and slightly golden. Tip into a large mixing bowl with the chickpeas and spices, then mash together with a fork or potato masher until the chickpeas are totally broken down. Stir in the parsley or dried herbs, with seasoning to taste. Add the egg, then squish the mixture together with your hands.
Step 3
Mould the mix into 6 balls, then flatten into patties. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, then fry the falafels on a medium heat for 3 mins on each side, until golden brown and firm. Serve hot or cold with couscous, pitta bread or salad.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 100g of dried chickpeas
- ..or 400g of canned chickpeas, washed and drained
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander (or use more cumin)
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped, or 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 egg, beaten
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