Falafel recipe made easy

	Falafel recipe

The falafel recipe has its origins in the Arabic Middle Eastern food tradition. I chose not to add baking powder. It's quite quick as you don't need to let the mix rest. It includes an egg, which helps to keep the mix together very nicely when you fry the rissoles.

The recent Arabic immigration to the Western Mediterranean countries has helped us to remember the common heritage we share with the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean basin and their delicious and healthy food. No wonder, there is an increasing interest in Middle Easten food.

Already, several Catalan restaurants have smoothly integrated Arabic dishes like the falafel recipe, baba ghanoush, and hummus into their dish list. I am doing the same, integrating Middle Eastern food into my Mediterranean diet recipes web site.

Below I give you a straightforward version of the falafel recipe that anyone can easily prepare.

Ingredients for this falafel recipe

Serves 4, about 30 patties

• 2 cups (450 g) cooked chickpeas
• 2 medium-sized onions – peeled and finely chopped
• 2 sprigs parsley leaves – chopped
• 2 eggs – beaten
• 4 cloves garlic – finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Olive oil for frying
• Salt
• A pinch sweet ground red pepper
• Breadcrumbs – use them only if your mix needs thickening
• Some flour – for coating the patties

Falafel recipe preparation instructions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet or frying pan. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Sautee the onion over medium-low heat until it becomes transparent.


2. In a large bowl, add the chickpeas, the fried onion, the chopped garlic cloves and parlesy leaves, the beaten egg, a pinch of salt and of sweet red pepper. Mix it well.


3. Next, crush the chickpeas mix with a mixer. Or add the mix to a blender or food processor and crush it until the chickpeas are broken down into small pieces. The consistency should be similar to breadcrumbs. It's essential that you do not overprocess chickpeas to a puree.


• If you don't have any kind of food processor, crush the chickpeas with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well. You need a little more time, but it works just as well. I have prepared this falafel recipe the totally manual way many times.


4. With your hands or with the help of a tablespoon, make small balls of about 1½-inches in diameter, and flatten them. Coat the patties with flour.


5. Add 3 fingers olive oil to a frying pan and heat it. When the oil is hot, fry the falafel patties until they have a toasted-brown color, about 4 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon or spatula, and drain the excess oil on paper towels.


6. Serve this falafel recipe with a lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad, and pitta bread or with rice.