Falafel
Falafel – Tamm’iya.
To save confusion I’ll just call these falafel.
Falafel is the name the rest of the Middle East and in fact the rest of the world know these wonderful flavourful nuggets by. Perhaps I should say that Tamm’iya is falafels tasty Egyptian cousin.
Egyptians only use fava beans in their falafel
The major difference in the recipe that Egyptians use is that they use Fava beans as their main ingredients whilst other countries such as Palestine use chickpeas. Others, such as Jordan, use a mixture of the two.
There are even more Ful and Falafel stands than coffee shops in Egypt
What has to be acknowledged is that Ful and Falafel stands are to be found all over Egypt. There are possibly even more Ful and Falafel stands than there are coffee shops. And that’s saying something!
A good Falafel should make your mouth dance
My son made the mistake of buying a falafel sandwich, whilst waiting for his flight at Heathrow airport. What he had – in his words was “a cold, dry falafel wrap which had as much flavour as a piece of cardboard – nothing like the tamm’iya you get in Egypt.” This is true, falafel sandwiches should be exciting , full of flavour, packed with fresh herbs, have a zing of chilli and make your mouth dance.
Falafel are a staple in Egypt and can be eaten any time of the day
Many Egyptians joke that Egypt is fuelled by Ful and Falafel. They are eaten morning , noon & night; for breakfast, lunch and supper.
Ful & Falafel are great sources of vegetarian protein
Meat is very expensive in Egypt. Too expensive to be eaten regularly, for the average person. Ful and Falafel are great sources of vegetarian protein and by comparison are so much more affordable.
In Egypt you can buy raw ready-made falafel mix from a falafel stall to cook at home. Sadly outside of Egypt that’s rare.
Don’t be tempted to buy de-hydrated mixes that come in a box. They are nothing like good falafel. So if you want the real thing you’re going to have to make it from scratch.
Preparation does involve soaking overnight but it’s worth it
If you’re making Falafel from scratch, preparation does involve overnight soaking. But other than that this is a quick meal to prepare and they are loved by all Egyptians.
Make sure to get the right beans
I must emphasise that you need split fava beans which have been skinned and look pale in colour NOT the brown fava beans that still have their skins.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 250g dried split fava beans, covered in cold water and soaked overnight
- 1 leek – finely chopped
- 1 onion – finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves – crushed
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 5 spring onions – finely chopped
- 2 chilli – finely sliced into rings
- 1 tomato – finely chopped
- 1 handful of coriander – finely chopped
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 egg – beaten – optional – omit for our vegan friends
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sesame seeds
- vegetable oil for frying
This is how we make them
Drain your beans, add the onions and leek and blitz them
Drain the split fava beans well in a sieve or colander. Tip them into a food processor, along with the leek, onions, garlic, flour and cumin and blitz the ingredients to a really frothy, smooth paste. Then tip it out on to a large bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients
Add the spring onions, chilli, tomato, chopped coriander, bicarbonate of soda and egg.
Season well
Season well with salt and pepper and mix well.
How to cook your falafel
Heat up the oil
Heat up a frying pan over a medium to high heat and pour in about 8cm deep of oil.
When the oil sizzles it’s hot enough
When you dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil and it begins to sizzle, you know you’ve reached the right heat. Reduce the heat slightly.
Time to start frying
It’s now time for you to begin cooking your falafel. I like to fry just one falafel first just to check the seasoning. Does it need more cumin? chilli? It’s good to check.
Scoop up a spoonful and sprinkle, before you put it into the oil
Many people like to wet their hands and take some falafel mix about the size of a walnut. They flatten it slightly and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Then lower it into the hot oil taking care not to drip water from their hands as it will cause the hot oil to spit. This is also how you see them being make at Falafel stalls.
I prefer to use 2 dessert spoons to or an ice-cream scoop to scoop up a rounded spoonful of falafel mixture and form it into a round. Sprinkle sesame seeds onto the top and gently lower it into the oil.
Not too many at a time
You will need to cook in batches of about 5 at a time. This will ensure your pan doesn’t get over filled. Expect the falafel to puff up a little with the baking powder in the mix.
Cook until golden brown
Cook for 2-3 minutes until they become a golden brown colour. Flip them over to make sure they are cooked on both sides.
Remove with a slotted spoon
Using a slotted spoon remove them from the oil. Keep then in a warm place whilst you cook the rest of your mix.
How to serve your delicious falafel
Traditionally these are eaten with Ful Medammes but they are also extremely good eaten in a pitta bread sandwich with salad and a drizzle of tahini.
I do hope you’ll enjoy these! Let me know how you get on with them.
