What's a falafel made of?!
Answers:
What is Falafel?
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern food which is made with spiced chickpeas and fava beans which are ground into a paste, formed into balls, and then fried. The resulting patties are typically rolled up in a flatbread like pita and topped with a tangy sauce. Many people associate falafel with street food, since it is a common street offering in regions with large Middle Eastern communities; it is also possible to find falafel in delis or to make it at home.
Different regions of the Middle East use varying ratios of chickpeas to fava beans. In some regions, one legume exclusively is used; in Egypt, for example, falafel is made with fava beans only. The spicing in falafel typically includes onion, garlic, minced parsley, cumin, and coriander. Some cooks also add diced chilies to the mixture to make it more spicy. Flour or egg may be mixed in as well to act as a binding agent so that the falafels do not fall apart when fried.
Tahini and yogurt based sauces are both used to dress falafel. When the sauce is made with tahini, it is typically very simple, with just tahini, lemon, and water. Yogurt may be mixed with lemon, dill, and cucumbers or other ingredients to make it both cooling and tangy. Lettuce is also often wedged in with the falafel, along with tomatoes and other salad ingredients in some regions.
In the United States, hummus is a common accompaniment to falafel, although this is rare in the Middle East. It is also possible to find spicy tahini sauces to make the falafel consumption experience a bit more exciting. Depending on the region, you may be offered falafel which is stuffed into a piece of pita bread, or falafel which is wrapped up in a flatbread to make a cylindrical sort of sandwich which is very easy to eat while strolling.
Falafel is also known as ta'meya in some parts of the Middle East. If you want to make this dish at home, you can purchase a falafel mix, which greatly simplifies the process. It is also possible to purchase chickpea meal, or you can buy and soak dried chickpeas and then grind them. Mix the ground chickpeas with seasonings of choice, and then fry the falafel in a deep fryer or wok; use peanut oil for a less oily end product, and drain the falafel well before serving.
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Falafel Recipe from Scratch
There are many falafel recipes. Each country has its own way of preparing falafel, and in every country you can find many versions of recipes.
A falafel recipe which is very popular in Israel
Falafel Ingredients
falafel-ingredients 1 Kg of dries chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
1 big head of garlic - cut to peeled cloves
2 onions cut to quarters
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped coriander (if you like)
1 tablespoon cumin spice
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon hot paprika
Salt, pepper
Oil for deep frying
Some recipes suggest adding flour to the mixture. But doing this will take some of the chickpeas flavor. So it is up to your personal preference
Preparation
* Wash the soaked chickpeas and put them in a food processor with the garlic, onion, parsley, and coriander. Grind until you get a rough moist texture. Add a little water if needed.
* Put the mixture into a large bowl; add baking soda and the rest of the ingredients.
* Warm the oil in a wide pot
* Make falafel balls with a falafel maker.
* Fry until you get a golden shade.
* Take the balls out with a slotted spoon.
* Serve hot!
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Yes ground chickpeas (garbanzo beans) but many in their original countries are also made partly or wholely with fava beans.
There may also be some flour included and/or breadcrumbs.
And the flavorings are usually onions and garlic...plus cumin, coriander, salt (and sometimes a few other things like parsley, hot sauce, etc.).
The mixture is formed into balls or patties, then usually shallow or deep fried, and served with a yogurt-based dressing (or sometimes tahini)... then often stuffed into a pita with salad fixings like tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce.
http://images.google.com/images?q=recipe…
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Mushed up chickpeas, onion. garlic and various herbs and spices - e.g. parsley, cumin, coriander.
chick peas :) they're so delicious !