Name and pronunciation: فلافل [fah-lah-fell]
Description: falafel
Type of cuisine: Arabic
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The day I have made falafel my husband recognised and liked, was a very happy in our family! There are as many falafel recipes as families and this is our favourite, secret flavour.
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Approximately 40 falafels • Soaking chickpeas overnight • Preparation time: 30 minutes • Frying time: 20 minutes
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Tips:
01
Do not use tinned chickpeas for falafel, it is much too soft. You need to use dry variety instead.
02
Fry your falafels until they are golden brown, but make sure you do not overdo it. They should be delicately crispy on the outside and soft inside.
03
They will be just as good defrosted, so try to make more and freeze a batch or two. They defrost in a matter of minutes!
04
You can serve them on a plate, or wrapped in any kind of flat bread or a tortilla. My absolute favourite is Turkish Yufka bread (dürüm).
05
Use any sauce you like on your falafels. I like it most with a mixture of mayonnaise and amba. Amba is an Arabic sauce made of pickled mango and a blend of spices. It is very Iraqi thing to put amba on falafel and for a great reason, it is a divine combination! Every brand makes their own blend, so they tend to be very different. Keep looking until you find your perfect taste.
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Ingredients:
✽ 500 g chickpeas (dry, will make about 1,2 kg after soaking and cooking)
✽ 1-2 large onions
✽ 2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
✽ 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
✽ 2-3 teaspoons salt (to taste)
✽ 2 teaspoons turmeric
✽ some fresh parsley (optional, to taste)
✽ sesame seeds (optional, to taste)
✽ 2 teaspoons cumin*
✽ ¼ teaspoon ground coriander*
✽ 1 teaspoon black pepper*
✽ 1-2 pinches cardamom*
* OR use about 2-3 teaspoons of ready-made falafel mix
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Method:
01
Soak dry chickpeas in water overnight (or at least good few hours) and then cook for 1-2 hours until soft enough to bite, but still a little crunchy inside.
02
When your chickpeas is ready, add all of the ingredients. I use a press for garlic to perfectly blend it the flavour and chop onion in small cubes.
03
After thoroughly mixing all ingredients, blend them with a hand blender until the chickpeas is broken down in small pieces. You might want to do it in few parts, because it is thick and tends to clog the blender a little. Keep blending patiently without adding any moisture. It is not the quickest task, but you need the mix very thick and sticky, otherwise your falafels will fall apart when you try to fry them.
04
When your mix is ready, it is time for shaping. If you can get your hands on a falafel press, they are fast and super easy to use. The best part of having one is that your falafels will start looking exactly the same from the very first time. Otherwise, you can shape your falafels between two tablespoons or in hands. The simplest way to form them in your hands is to roll a small ball and flatten it slightly. You can also make a little hole with your thumb. Try your best to make them all the same size and shape. This way they will fry evenly and look much nicer on a plate.
05
Falafel needs to be deep-fried, so if you have a deep-frier, use it! If not, just use a wok, an ordinary pan or a pot with non-stick surface. You just need enough oil to cover your falafels at least half of the height and then flip them. If the oil covers them fully, of course there is no need to flip. It is just easier to fry this way.
06
They do not take that long to fry, only a few minutes. They need to be deep golden, but not too dark, so they do not get too dry inside. Let them cool down a little a they are ready!
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Enjoy!
Our Eastern Kitchen 