Some argue that falafel have been eaten in the middle-east for centuries, others claim that they were invented by Indian soldiers serving the British Army in colonial Egypt. Whatever the origin, there’s no doubt that they are now a middle-eastern classic, and have enjoyed global popularity due to their flavour, healthy ingredients and suitability for vegetarians and vegans.
It’s surprising that falafel aren’t more popular on Lanzarote. All the ingredients for this middle-eastern classic are cheap and easily available.
INGREDIENTS
• 300 g dried chickpeas
• One bunch parsley
• One bunch coriander
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ tspn baking powder
• 1 tspn ground cumin
• ½ tspn ground black pepper
• 1/4 tspn each of dried ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
• 4 tbspns sesame seeds
• Sunflower oil for frying
METHOD
1. Soak the chickpeas for 24 hours. Do not boil them.
2. Whizz in a food processor with the garlic, spices and chopped herbs until you have a uniform, coarse mixture.
3. Put the mixture in a bowl, stir in the baking powder and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Form the mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball, roll them in sesame seeds and flatten them just a little.
5. Heat 5 cms of oil in a pan and fry the falafel until they’re a toasted, golden brown.
6. Serve with bread, salad, tahini sauce, yoghurt and pickles.
Chef’s tip: Add more herbs if you like. Spring onions also add flavour to the mix. Falafel can also be made with dried broad beans, but these will need peeling after soaking.
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