Undoubtedly, falafel, especially as street food, has become very “fashionable” in the last 2 or 3 years. There’s no telling how many recipes there are on the internet, in TV shows, in cooking magazines. And so many little shops, mainly in the center of Athens, offer these crispy would-be meatballs from chickpeas. The Lebanese or Egyptian cook usually employed by the falafel store puts this magical touch, the mastery that can only be attained by someone who has tried and made a meal in their place of origin. For this reason, when we, the “ignorant”, pass outside these places at the center of Athens, their smells activate our taste buds immediately. You have definitely stood in the queue and eaten these amazing treats while standing, or at least you’ve been passing in a hurry, thinking “next time I’ll have the time to eat …”.
Falafel is food from the Middle East, made from chickpeas or fava beans, to replace meat during fasting but also as an cost-saving meal for large families. The Mediterranean Sea and the easy communication between the peoples that inhabit its shores favored – among many other things, material or immaterial – the widespread appeal of falafel. That’s why we have the famous chickpea balls of Sifnos, the “pitia” patties in Nisyros and the “pitaroudia” patties of Rhodes, all of them Aegean chickpea balls with small variations.
INGREDIENTS
For about 25 chickpea balls (depending on their size of course…)
- 250g of chickpeas
- 1 medium dried onion
- 2 fresh onions (their white and tender green part)
- 1 piece of leek (only white part)
- 1 fresh garlic or 2 cloves
- 1 lemon zest and juice from ½ lemon
- Half a bunch of fresh coriander
- Half a bunch of parsley
- ⅓ of the bunch mint
- 2 tsp of dried oregano
- ½ tsp of ginger powder or 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- ⅓ tsp of cumin (optional)
- ⅓ tsp of clove, chopped
- ⅓ teaspoon of curry
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp of baking powder or baking soda
- Olive oil or sunflower oil for frying
* If you don’t like one of the herbs or spices reduce it or skip it
INGREDIENTS
Put the chickpeas in a large bowl of water and allow them to soak for 24 hours.
The next day, when they’re ready, strain the remaining water in the bowl and put the chickpeas in the multi or blender.
Add all the other ingredients and mash them together. If you do not have a large food processor, perform the mashing process in your little multi in… installments. Empty the mixture in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator. Leave it there until you use it; you can of course fry the falafel right away, I did that and it came out just fine. Normally, when you leave this type of mixture in the refrigerator for a few hours, you get a better result because the flavors become mixed, marinated and delicious.
You can make the mixture of falafel and either use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and fry fresh falafel whenever you want. Especially now, during Lent, I think it’s very convenient.
Fry the falafel just like we fry all kinds of meatballs and afterwards place them for a bit on kitchen paper.
If you want to avoid many calories or the annoying frying smell at home, you can bake the falafel in the oven, on a metal sheet that you have lined with baking paper. However, fried falafel is nicer, you know, and don’t say I didn’t tell you so…
