For “Friends’ recipes” today we share an idea that Aura sent us: the recipe of Falafel.

The think that struck me in this recipe is that chickpeas are not cooked, but soaked in water for a long time to make the dried chickpeas soft enough to be blended to a creamy texture: this is something very different from the use we make of chickpeas in Italy.

This is an extremely tasty North African and Middle Eastern dish consisting of spiced and fried pulse balls. An appetising main course, also perfect for children and those who choose a vegan diet. To stay in the same geographical area, try an enchanting rosewater dessert: Mahalabiya.

Let’s see how to prepare them!

Falafel

20.78g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

• 150g dried chickpeas
• 50g onions
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2g parsley
• 2g cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp bicarbonate
• ½ tsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 tsp pepper
• salt to taste, oil for frying

Preparation

1. Soak the chickpeas for 24 hours, then dry them well on a tea towel.
2. Blend in a processor until the mixture is not completely creamy, but remains somewhat grainy. Add finely chopped garlic, onion and parsley to the mixture, then add pepper, salt, cilantro, cumin and bicarbonate of soda and mix well (in case the ingredients remain too divided, blend again). Finally, add the sesame seeds.
3. Using two soup spoons, form small elongated patties and fry them in hot oil. We made them round to speed up the process. Be careful not to overcook the patties, they must be thrown little by little into the boiling oil because the presence of bicarbonate in the mixture will make it fizz, so it is difficult to see when the patties are ready.
4. Once golden brown on both sides, drain them and let them dry on kitchen paper.

Version with gluten of Falafel

The recipe is naturally gluten-free, so no adaptation is needed.