Name: Falafel (Chickpea Croquettes)
Yield: Makes 16 falafel
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 4 cups water; 2 tomatoes, chopped; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; ½ teaspoon ground coriander; hummus, optional; canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 cucumber, chopped; 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste; 1 thick slice rustic white bread, crust removed; 3 cloves garlic, minced; pita breads, heated; 1 egg; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 2 tablespoons flour, plus about 1 cup for coating; 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained

Preparation info

Makes
16
falafel

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Saffron Shores

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2002

About

Andalusía was known for its many shops specializing in fried foods. The Sephardic passion for fried foods spread to the Italian Jews, who love a good fritto misto, and to the Middle East as well. Falafel exemplify the Sephardic fritter tradition at its best. These crunchy chickpea croquettes are Egyptian in origin but are now equally popular in Syria and Lebanon, and have become a signature dish of Israel. The crunchy fried falafel are tucked into warm pita bread with chopped tomato,