The Arabic word falafel translates pepper, it is a dish of unknown origin that is consumed in India, Pakistan, and the Middle East . It has different variables depending on the region where it is prepared. The evolution of its preparation has reached the hands of the most famous chefs in the world. It is simple to prepare, and is basically a very unique chickpea croquette but with a lot of flavor.
These croquettes are considered a fast food, in their most popular form, they should not be missing at parties or celebrations and are generally served as an informal canapé. It can also be served as an appetizer or mezze at more formal banquets, accompanied by pita bread and other toppings such as yogurt and tahini sauce.
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Falafel has a nutritional value that has been appreciated by people who follow a vegetarian diet . One unit, weighing approximately 17 grams, may contain:
- 57 calories
- 3.0 g of fat
- 5.4 g of carbohydrates
- 2.3 g of protein
Falafel has become internationalized and one of the ways to penetrate new markets, especially in franchises dedicated to food, is to include falafel as a dish on their menu, giving positive results.
For our part, we will share our Chickpea Falafel recipe for the preparation of this exquisite dish.
CHICKPEA FALAFEL RECIPE
Ingredients (22 units)
- 250 g Fuentesaúco chickpeas
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cilantro
- 1 grain of ground cardamom or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2+1/2 tablespoons of wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons of water
Besides:
- Oil for frying
Preparation (2 and a half hours + approx. 12 hours of soaking):
1. Wash the chickpeas and soak them for about 12 hours.
2. The next day, drain the chickpeas well, add the chopped garlic, chopped onion and parsley and mix.
3. With the help of an electric chopper, grind the chickpeas in two batches. Blend the chickpeas until they are finely chopped but not mushy.
4. Once the chickpeas have been chopped, add the spices, yeast, salt, flour and water.
5. Mix well with your hands.
6. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.
7. Heat a frying pan with plenty of oil (the falafel should float in the oil).
8. With wet hands, form balls the size of a walnut. The dough may seem inconsistent but it should be that way. If the dough is very consistent, the falafel will be very hard.
9. When the oil is hot, fry the falafel over medium heat until golden brown. From time to time, turn them over.
10. Serve the falafel still hot with yogurt sauce, salad or pita bread.
Enjoy!
