Concept in Definition ABC

The falafel It is a typical dish of Lebanese cuisine, although it is thought that it originated in India from where it passed to the Middle East and Egypt. It consists of small chickpea croquettes fried in oil made of olives.

Is preparation It can be eaten alone as a starter or main dish, accompanied by pita bread, chickpea cream (hummus), aubergine cream, yogurt and taboule salad. Falafel is also used to make other foods such as shawarma, a sandwich made from pita bread stuffed with tabule, sesame cream and roast lamb.

Falafel preparation technique

To prepare the falafel you should use raw chickpeas, which have been soaked in Water at least the night before. These are washed well washed, drained and dried, removing excess moisture, and then crushed in a mincer or blender. Fava beans or a mixture of fava beans and chickpeas can also be used.

The crushed chickpeas are mixed with finely chopped onion, garlic, parsley and coriander, a little water can be added to form a

species pasta. It is seasoned with cumin, salt and pepper, the mixture is worked to make it as homogeneous as possible, covered and left to rest for at least 30 minutes to an hour before cooking.

Then small portions are taken and they are shaped into a ball or a croquette using the hands directly, they are placed in abundant oil well hot and let it fry, turning it until they are well browned.

They are removed from the oil, drained and served hot.

Some variants of the original recipe incorporate chickpea flour or breadcrumbs to allow the pasta to be more homogeneous which allows the falafel not to fall apart when it is fried.

Other options for preparing falafel

There are variants of the original recipe that substitute the chickpea for lentils or even soy. Some preparations may include vegetables such as peppers or less conventional proposals such as minced meat, which notably changes the flavor of the falafel.

There are also variants that add sesame or chia seeds to the surface for flavor and flavor. appearance more beautiful to the croquettes. Lovers of healthy cuisine change l technique cooking, preparing them in the oven and not fried, which reduces the amount of calories in each croquette, but also has an effect on its flavor and texture.

Photos: iStock - smpics / john shepherd

Themes in Falafel