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Falafel is one of the most attractive and popular Middle Eastern dishes. Fried and roasted meatballs that Southerners are very skilled at cooking. In general, falafel is one of the most popular dishes in the south of our country, along with Sambose and Sosis Bandari, which have many fans with their spicy taste. Be with the Cookery Magazine for amazing facts about these delicious fried balls.
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Ingredients for making falafel
| Chickpea | 300 grams |
| Onion | 2 medium sizes |
| Coriander seed | 1 teaspoon |
| Green or black cumin powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Garlic | 3 cloves |
| Parsley | 50 grams |
| Potato | 1 small piece |
| lemon | 1 medium size |
| Turmeric and oil | As much as needed |
| Salt and black pepper | As much as needed |
| * Falafel spice | 1 teaspoon |
* It is very necessary to use falafel spice in making felafel to make it flavorful and authentic. Felafel spice has many compounds with many properties in addition to flavoring felafel and flavoring it.
It is interesting to know that mango powder (Amchoor) is one of the main ingredients of falafel spice, which separates this spice from other spices. Some felafel sellers in Abadan, the most famouse place for its falafels) prepare a special yellow sauce from mango powder, which is very spicy and has many fans.
Felafel spice
| Mango powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Black pepper powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Black cumin powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Turmeric powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Ginger powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Garlic powder | 2 tablespoon |
| Onion powder | 2 tablespoon |
| Dry parsley powder | 2 tablespoon |
| Baking powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Coriander seed powder | ½ tablespoon |
| Dry mint powder | ½ tablespoon |
Pay attention to the determined proportions; for example, mango powder, black pepper powder, and black cumin powder are used in equal proportions. While garlic powder and dry parsley powder are used in equal and double proportions of the mango group.
Recipe for making falafel
The first step
To prepare delicious felafel, the first step is to soak the chickpeas. The longer this time is, the better the felafel will be at the end of cooking. The minimum time you need to soak the chickpeas is 6 hours.
Tip: chickpeas are soaked for 24 to 72 hours until they are completely soft in the felafel’s market.
The second step
In addition to softening the peas, soaking them helps remove their bloating.
It is straightforward to prepare the felafel sauce, as sauce here means the mixture of ingredients; mix it with other ingredients after the chickpeas are well soaked.
The third step
For this purpose, put the soaked chickpeas with parsley, garlic, onion, coriander seed powder, potatoes, and cumin into a mixer or meat grinder until the felafel mixture is mixed until it gets evenly.
Adding parsley to falafel is optional. But if you want to have tastier and more elegant felafel, we recommend using this aromatic vegetable. Professional chefs recommend using a meat grinder to prepare the felafel mixture because the mixer purees the ingredients completely.
The fourth step
Mashing chickpeas makes the felafel break apart during frying, but when the felafel mixture is ground, it is not crushed completely.
After grinding or mixing the felafel mixture, take the lemon juice and strain it with a cheesecloth.
Then add strained lime juice along with some salt, black pepper, felafel spice, and turmeric to the falafel mixture. After adding the flavorings, grind or mix the falafel mixture one more time.
The fifth step
After grinding or mixing again, knead the falafel mixture with your hands for about 5 minutes, like a pounded kebab mixture, until it becomes completely uniform (the falafel mixture should be slightly loose after preparation and should not be too hard).
An important point at this stage is that if you have a lot of felafel stuff, you can put it in a freezer bag and use it whenever you want.
The sixth step
After the felafel sauce, or stuff and ingredients, get ready, it is better to put it in the refrigerator for about one to two hours to become more consistent.
Of course, if you don’t have enough time for this, you can directly fry the felafels at this step.
Place a deep dish like a deep frying pan on a gentle heat and pour enough oil so the falafels float in the oil.
This is one of the crucial tips for frying falafel because felafel is different from cutlet if you fry it in low oil. At this stage, fill the felafel mold with the falafel mixture and press it well with the back of a spoon so it does not separate during frying.
The seventh step
Mold as much felafel as it will fit, put it in oil, and let the felafel cook slowly.
One of the important points when frying felafel is the heat under the pan; if you increase the heat to cook the felafel faster, the oil will burn very quickly and turn black; Meanwhile, the edges of your felafels will be fried, and the inside will remain raw.
So don’t rush to fry the falafels. After the felafels are fried, place them on a Metal colander or a towel to remove excess oil.
The eighth step
After the excess oil from the falafels is removed, please put them in the desired dish and serve with baguette bread, tomatoes, pickled cucumbers, and chopped lettuce. Besides falafel, we can use mango sauce or ketchup sauce.
International felafel day
It might be interesting that falafel is equally popular in other known countries, and the funniest thing is that falafel has a world day for itself! In 2012, June 12 was recognized as World Felafel Day!
On this day, felafel lovers gather together and offer it to those who have never eaten felafel.
It was around 2012 that a food-loving entrepreneur created World Felafel Day. Ben Long, co-founder of Innovation Israel and founder of International Falafel Day.
The importance of this food was realized when it was adopted for Christian rituals. Before Easter and during Lent, Christians who abstained from eating meat replaced falafel.
Having a journey in the history of falafel
Falafel or felafel is a special food of Arab countries, and it is soaked and pounded chickpea or bean pollen fried in oil and eaten with bread and spicy seasonings.
In Yemen, felafel is called Bajji; in Egypt and Sudan, it is prepared with beans and is called Ta’ameya.
All sources agree that falafel is a food from the eastern and southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea,
But there are different opinions about the exact origin and meaning of the word falafel.
In Iran, this food is known as a Lebanese dish; But felafel seems to have reached Shamat and Iraq from Egypt.
This food goes from Egypt to Syria and is liked and famous in Syria. Then he will open his eyes to other countries in the Middle East. Even now, in Syria, felafel is cooked differently and more elaborately than in Iran and other countries.
Another tradition says felafel was invented by the Copts (Egyptian Christians).
Copts in Egypt fast for several days of the year, and during that time, they avoid eating meat and go for vegetarian food; Of course, there is no document about this.
The word falafel consists of 3 parts “fa,” “la,” and “fel,” which means “completely made of chickpeas” in the Coptic language.
The Coptic dictionary in English defines felafel as “with many beans.” But in Egypt, this food is called falafel only in the city of Alexandria, and in other places, it is called Ta’ameya.
This dish is widely used in the Middle East, especially Ahvaz, Beirut, Damascus and Baghdad, Ilam (which is used in Ilam with traditional Samoon and mango sauce in the local dialect), Abadan, and Bandar Abbas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is world falafel day?
June 12, which corresponds to Khordad, Iranian 3rd month, 22, is World Falafel Day.
Is falafel a healthy food?
Considering that this food is fried in oil, you may wonder if it is healthy. Since the main ingredient of falafel is chickpeas, it has high fiber and is a good source of vegetable protein.
Chickpeas are also rich in B vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Of course, it should be said that when falafel is fried, its calories and fat increase.
Is falafel a vegetarian food?
As we said before, since falafel is prepared with chickpeas and spices, it is considered a vegetarian food. Therefore, it can be among the choices of vegetarians and vegans.
Therefore, felafel is a suitable protein substitute for vegetarians and vegans, sometimes referred to as a source of vegetable protein.
What is felafel or felafel in the real sense of the word?
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern street food that is generally sold from vendors or small delis in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran.
Felafel is also considered a vegetarian food. In many Middle Eastern countries, felafel is served with pita bread, pickles, hot sauce, and vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce.
Where is the birthplace of felafel?
Felafel birthplace dates back thousands of years ago, and its birthplace is Egypt.
Where is the most famous falafel shop in Iran?
Akbar Brazili Abadan felafel is one of the most famous Iranian felafel.
Apart from Iran, in which countries can you find falafel?
Egypt was the first country to introduce felafel to its tables. After that, this delicious dish made its way to the whole Middle East. Felafel is one of the most popular street foods in Europe and America.
Conclusion
Thank you again for being with us with an excellent, delicious, authentic Iranian recipe. Share your experiences with us, and if you have any tips to improve the food recipe, be sure to comment; thank you.
And finally, I would like to thank those who took the time to read this article about felafel.
It is hoped that among the delicious foods of different societies, Iranian food is gaining more and more fans daily.
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