Falafel

Falafel is a patty or fritter made from ground Chickpeas.  We in the Middle East are fortunate to taste so many varieties of Falafel ; sometimes spicy, sometimes sour and sometimes even sweet.   The Egyptians say that Falafel originated there;  which is strongly refuted by the Lebanese and other Arabs.    Falafel is usually served in a Pita Bread or Khubz, which acts as a pocket for the Falafel.  You can top the Falafel with salads, pickled vegetables  like carrots, cucumbers, turnips and chilies and drizzle it with a sauce of your choice; usually yogurt based or tahini based.

I love Falafels, while the family prefers ‘Shawarma’;  so when it is falafel time at home, you know who has an overdose of them .  I made them recently and though they were a little flatter than usual, they tasted real yum.

Falafel is high in protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber and it is said that chickpeas are low in fat and salt and contain no cholesterol.    Dear friends,  care enough for your family to replace hamburgers with Falafel  ?????

Recipe :  1 cup dried chickpeas (wash and soak overnight in water),  few fava beans (optional), 1 small onion, 3 garlic cloves, ½ cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¾ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, salt to taste,  1 tablespoon of sesame seeds/til to sprinkle on the falafel just before frying).

Pick, wash and soak the chickpeas overnight in a bowl of water.  After soaking, drain and dab them dry.  Place the chickpeas (uncooked), the fava beans and all other ingredients in a mixer (except the sesame seeds) and pulse till you get a coarse dough.  Sprinkle a little water if it is too dry.  You should have a sticky dough which can be easily made into balls.

Form the balls and flatten a little.  Sprinkle all over with sesame seeds.   Heat oil in a skillet and deep  fry on both sides till golden.  Drain on paper towels.

To serve,  split pita-bread or khubz and fill with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced peppers, tomatoes, pickles like salted carrots, turnips and chilies and few teaspoons of sour cream.

To make sour cream,  whisk together half cup cream, 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 cup hung curd and salt to taste.

Am sending this recipe to the event “Deep Fried Snacks” by Tickling Palates http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/p/events.html

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