Falafel
Falafel is the ultimate street food of mediterranean region which is usually served with pita bread, pickles and salads. It’s so famous in Israel that at one point of time McDs even has a special falafel burger. Let’s see how easy it is to make falafel at home.
What you'll need
1 & 1/2 cup of dry chick peas
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1/2 onion, chopped into a few large pieces
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and dil leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp baking soda
Oil for deep frying
How to
Look through the beans and pick out anything that doesn’t look like a bean. Soak them in about 3 cups of water overnight for around 12-15 hours. When the beans rehydrate, they almost double in size. Transfer everything except the oil to a food processor and process until everything is minced. Make sure you do not puree it. Add a tbsp of water if needed, to make sure that the machine does it’s work . Too much water and you will not be able to make the falafel balls.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt, spices or lime juice if needed.
In a heavy bottomed frying pan, add enough oil and turn on the heat to high. Check if the oil is up to the frying temperature by dropping a pinch of falafel batter.If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready for frying.
Make falafel balls by rolling them in your palms or shape them to make small patties. Fry them in batches on medium heat until they are crispy and golden brown on the outside. Make sure that you do not over crowd the frier or else the falafel won’t cook uniformly. Drain them and let them rest on a kitchen towel for 5 minutes before serving.
Lay the falafel on a flat bread (or a pita pocket) with some fresh cucumbers, dil, mint leaves, tomatoes, tahini and serve them as a falafel wrap!
