Falafel is a delicious taste from the Middle East closed in a small ball with a brown colour. For years, there have been discussions about the country from which this extraordinary dish really comes - three nationalities - Israel, the Arabs and the Lebanese - claim to have invented it.
Nobody wants to let go, and Lebanon and Israel are even waging wave and hummus wars - the record number of the largest number of waveafles or the largest plate of hummus given at the same time is once in Israel, once in Lebanon. Researchers are of the opinion that the falafel most probably originated in Palestinian villages, and from there it spread at an express pace among other peoples living in the surrounding lands.
Falafel is a very popular substitute for meat in most types of kebabs or tortillas. Its unique taste, however, is not appreciated only by vegetarians, because the charm of the falafel will also be appreciated by keen carnivores. It blends perfectly with any sauce, but with its sharpness it is not worth exaggerating, unless we only care about feeling the sauce and roasting it in the throat, and not the taste of the falafla. The biggest advantage of this delicacy, however, is that it is very easy to make it yourself.
What do we need?
- dry chickpeas - 250 g
- Onions - 1 piece.
- garlic - 3 cloves
- bunch of parsley parsley
- cumin - 3 teaspoons
- coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
- ground cardamom - 1 teaspoon
- ground cinnamon - ½ teaspoonfuls
- chilli - 1 teaspoon
- baking soda - 1 teaspoon
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- peanut oil for frying - about 200 ml
Preparation begins with soaking the chickpeas in water the day before - just as in the case of beans or peas, the chickpeas must be soaked and softened. It should last about 24 hours. It is said that raw chickpeas are too hard even for the strongest blender, but this is not true. Every average malaxer or blender can cope with sufficiently soaked and softened. When the chickpeas are soaked, the seeds need to be finely ground. When blending, add the rest of the ingredients. In the case of coriander and cumin, before adding to the mass, they should be roasted in a frying pan and beaten thoroughly in a mortar. If the whole thing still seems too dry, you can add a small amount of cold water.
Heat up the oil in a small pot - its amount should reach half a chickpea ball. Form small balls with a diameter of about 3 cm and fry them until golden brown. They taste best served with pita breads and lots of fresh vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers. Fingers lick!
