Olivier Poels 5:40 p.m., January 04, 2022
Direction Egypt to go back to the origins of falafels, these small balls of chickpeas or beans (depending on the recipes and the country), with herbs, spices, all fried.
They are said to have been born into the Coptic Christian community in Egypt.
During Lent, they replace meat.
The famous port of Alexandria, the starting point of many trade routes, would have played a major role in its spread throughout the Middle East.
Easy to prepare and eat, they have become popular in many countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, Iran… A symbol of street food in these countries before conquering the world in the 1970s.
A little dry, falafels are eaten with a sauce (with yogurt for example or with sesame cream, tahina).
The trend for gluten-free and veganism has recently put the spotlight on these dishes which are now very trendy.
The falafel recipe:
Ingredients:
- 500 gr of chickpeas soaked in water the day before with a tsp.
to s.
of baking soda
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp.
to c.
ground coriander
- 1 tbsp.
to c.
cumin
- 1 tsp.
to c.
paprika
- 1 tbsp.
to c.
of sesame seeds
- Herbs (coriander, mint)
- Oil
- Salt / pepper
1. Dry the chickpeas well and place all the ingredients in the bowl of a blender
2. Let stand for 1 hour in the fridge.
3. Form balls with your hands
4. Cook them in oil at 180 ° (deep fryer) for 5 minutes