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Back to Basics: Falafel

Back to Basics: Falafel

What! No falafel recipe on my blog! HOW could that happen! Oops! It’s something we make quite a bit in some shape or form! 😀 I also realised that I haven’t posted in the Back to Basics series for a while, so here is a delicious falafel recipe for you. In the oven five minutes after you’ve found the tin opener! Seriously!

Falafel? Well, it’s traditionally a Middle Eastern dish, usually eaten in a sandwich – such as pitta bread. If you live in a big city in the UK you may be fortunate enough to be able to get a falafel burger as a take-out from a kebab shop, if you live somewhere like Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, it’s probably available everywhere as street food. For those not in either of these situations, don’t fear, here is a very easy cheat to making delicious little falafel bites!

Back to Basics: Falafel

 

So, the main ingredients are either chickpeas (which I use), fava beans, or a mixture of the two. Unbelievably I was talking to my nephews step-Dad the other week and discovered that he grows fava (or faba) beans here in the UK! He didn’t know they were called fava beans, he just knew them as ‘spring beans’ and knew the variety is ‘Fuego’. What does he do with them? He exports them to Egypt which I assume they then use to make fuul – their national dish! ? Back to falafel! The main flavour in falafel is cumin, so as long as you have that, the other ingredients aren’t too important, but I’d try to at least add garlic if you can.

Basically, you drain the chickpeas and get them as dry as possible, then mash then with the spices, form into patties and deep fry – or bake, or a bit of both! That’s it! Lets have a look at the recipe!

Back to Basics: Falafel (Vegan & Free-From)

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print page

Gather

  • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas well drained
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic granules
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • salt to taste (I used pink Himalayan)
  • * optional oil for frying (I used coconut)

Prepare

  1. Drain the chickpeas well and mash with a fork.
  2. Mix in the cumin, coriander, garlic, parsley and salt.
  3. Form into small patties pressing well together (I used a falafel press).
  4. Lightly shallow fry in a pan to colour before transferring to the oven to bake. Cook for 15-20 minutes at Gas mark 5 (375f /190c).
  5. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

  • Pop in a pitta with some salad, tahini and munch away!
  • Eat as they are with a tasty houmous to dip in to.
  • Make bigger burgers and put in a bread roll with your favourite burger additions.
  • Have with a fresh salad.
  • Add to a buffet table.
  • Store refrigerated for up to five days.
  • Freeze for up to a month, cook from frozen.

 

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