Falafel ~ A Lebanese Street Food Snack!

by Shaheen Ali

Falafel is a Lebanese deep fried balls or patties made from white chickpeas/kabuli chana and/or fava beans. they are usually stuffed in pita bread with tahini, hummus or a vegetable salad or a assortment of veggies. Falafel is a common dish eaten throughout the Middle East. The fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food. When chickpeas are used, they are not cooked prior to use (cooking the chickpeas will cause the falafel to fall apart, requiring adding some flour to use as a binder). Instead they are soaked (sometimes with baking soda) overnight, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallions, and garlic. Spices such as cumin and coriander are often added to the beans for added flavor. Fava beans must be cooked, for medical reasons.The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an aleb falafel (falafel mould). [source-Wikipedia] The mixture is usually deep fried, or it can be oven baked. It is an absolutely wonderful and awesome snack loved by both kids and grown ups.


Those who keep a follow up on me very well know that i had Chole (chickpea curry) for dinner last night and as i had a cup of boiled chickpeas left, i had planned to make hummus with them the next day. Early this morning my son again came up asking for something crunchy munchy for his tiffin. Then what…hummus was out and falafel was inn. The most easy Lebanese snack that can be made in a jiffy. A perfect snack option for kids and their tiffin. Packed few for my son with his favorite cheesy dip and i preferred them rolling into a maida roti loaded with lots of veggies n dips……… ahaa! my quick burrito was ready!

Print Recipe
FALAFEL ~ A Lebanese Street Food Snack!
Course brunch
Cuisine lebanese
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
helping
Ingredients
Course brunch
Cuisine lebanese
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
helping
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine boiled chickpeas and rest other ingredients together in a large bowl.
  2. Mash the chick peas along with the ingredients well.
  3. Pinch a lemon sized ball and roll between your palm and slightly flatten it to make disk shape.
  4. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the falafel balls/disks just the way you fry pakodas/fritters.
  5. Fry them from both sides till they are golden in color.
  6. Drain them out on a kitchen towel to absorb extra oil.
  7. Serve falafel hot with pita bread or serve as snack/starter with some sauce or dip.
Recipe Notes

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