Ingredients to make Falafel:
- (4 portions)
- 250 grams of dried beans.
- 1 onion.
- 1 clove garlic.
- Baking powder.
- Salt (preferably sea salt).
- Olive oil.
How to make Falafel:
Falafel is becoming increasingly popular among Spaniards, mainly due to the proliferation of shops and restaurants specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine. These exquisite meatballs or legume croquettes are consumed throughout the near and Middle East, as well as in Turkey, a border country between Asia Minor and Europe. The recipe below is for falafel or Tamia, the Egyptian version of this dish, which is made with dried fava beans. The beans are peeled, discarding the thick layer that protects them and left to soak in water for about six hours. Then they drain well.
Put them in a blender and add the previously peeled and chopped onion, a bunch of parsley, the skinless garlic clove, and a teaspoon of cumin powder, salt to taste and a pinch of baking powder. Once the mixture has the consistency of puree, pour it into a bowl and leave it for a while in a warm place to rise.
When this happens, add a couple of tablespoons of flour that mix well with the bean paste and form small balls (no larger than the size of a large walnut each), and let the mixture rest again. Preparation for about twenty minutes; then the balls are passed through flour.
Fry and to the table. In a deep frying pan, heat the olive oil, which must reach the exact temperature at which when we put a crumb of bread in it, some bubbles begin to form around it, indicating that it is ready.
This degree of heat of the oil must be checked whenever it is going to be fried, since it is the one that cooks the food so that it is tender on the inside while forming a crispy layer on the outside, without the fat penetrating inside.
