Work time: about 30 minutes / cooking time: about 15 minutes / leave for about 24 hours
Typically Turkish.
The Falafel is a deep-fried ball made of puréed chickpeas, and is very popular in south-east Turkey. Vegetarians love Falafels. They originate from the Middle East and constitute a major part of Arabian cuisine. Falafels with warm lava bread, hummus and salad are a real delight.
- 250 g chickpeas
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 large onion
- 1 bunch of coriander
- 1 bunch of Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
- 1 small tsp. of chopped cumin
- 1 small tsp. of chopped coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper
- 1 – 2 tsp. of salt
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 1 pack of baking powder
- Vegetable oil for frying (at least 1l)
Falafels are easy to make and the classic serving is with salad, pita bread and Cacik.
Preparation:
1. Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours in plenty of water. Change the water after 6 hours.
2. After being soaked, wash the chickpeas well. Then put
them into the food processor, or press them through the
finest slot of the mincer. Add the garlic, onions, coriander
and parsley, and keep blending in and mincing with the spices (not the baking powder) until you have a slightly grainy mass.
3. Heat up a pan containing plenty of vegetable oil. Knead the backing powder into the Falafel dough and make small, round balls. Fry the Falafel balls in the hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes until they are golden yellow. For best results, they should float in the oil. Use a skimmer to remove the Falafels from the pan, and allow excess oil to drip onto a paper towel.
Done. Enjoy your meal. Afiyet olsun.
Test: Is the oil hot enough? If small bubbles rise up a wooden slat, the oil is at the right temperature for frying.