FALAFAL : PROTEIN PACKED BALLS

Falafal is a deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans or even combination of both.  It is a traditional Middle Eastern food, commonly served in pita bread topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce and drizzled with tahini sauce.  Falafal can be served alone or as an appetizer with hummus. (Hummus recipe was in my previous blog)

The origin of Falafal is controversial.  The common theory is that it originated in Egypt and that it can be traced back to Pharaonic Egypt. 

Falafal plays an important role in Israeli cuisine.  It is considered to be the national dish of Israel and is readily available in every restaurant or corner shop.

In North America, prior to 1970s, Falafal was found only in Middle Eastern restaurants but today it is easily available as street food all over North America.  With people turning vegetarian due to health reasons, Falafal has been accepted as a healthy alternative.

Falafal has very high nutritional value. Since it is made of chickpeas, it is full of protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber. Chickpeas are also low in fat and salt and contain no  bad cholesterol.  It can be baked to reduce the high fat content which comes from deep frying. Only problem is baking will change the texture and the flavor of this dish.

No matter what mode of cooking you prefer, Falafal is an easy dish to make. It is very simple and less time consuming.  Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas or garbanzo beans or white channa, 1 medium onion chopped finely, 3 cloves of garlic chopped finely or crushed, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp red pepper(optional), 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper, 2 1/2 tbsp wheat flour(or white flour), 1/2 cup fresh parsley cleaned, washed and chopped, 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice, salt to taste, oil for deep frying.

Method:

Soak chickpeas overnight. Next morning boil them in a pressure cooker or in a covered pan till they are very tender. Mash chickpeas but save the stock( this stock can be used for any vegetarian soup). Combine all the ingredients with mashed chickpeas and blend them in a food processor.  Form them into small or medium sized balls or patties.  Deep fry these on medium flame. Turn to cook from the other side. Drain the oil on a paper towel. Serve them hot with hummus.

You can make big patties and use them in a vegetable burger with lettuce, onion and tomato etc.