Falafel
Falafel is a tasty, fried bean ball. I made mine with ground chickpeas (garbanzo beans), but they are also known to be made from ground fava beans or a combination of both. Falafel is a popular street food in the Middle East, and I believe it is the national dish of Israel. (Edit: Falafel actually originated in Egypt, and Israel likes to claim it as their national snack.)
The great thing is chickpeas are high in fiber, and are a good source of iron and protein –much need nutrients in a meat-free diet. If you use canned chickpeas this meal comes together pretty fast, with down time during refrigeration. Traditionally falafel are served in a pita, with pickled vegetables or lettuce and tomato. I served mine on a piece of naan smeared in a homemade hummus, topped with shredded red cabbage, and tomato. It was truly delicious.
I always bake my meat-balls. Can these be baked also?
I made these last week and they were a hit! Mine weren’t as pretty as yours, but I should have made a double batch because we were fighting over the last one. I’m making them again tonight 🙂
Jamie,
I’m disappointed! You made a blog post about falafel and didn’t contact me?!?
That being said, spot on recipe. Sometimes we like to try correander (spelling?) instead of parsley to give it more zing. Furthermore, some place here also give the mix a squeeze of lemon!
Lastly, no. No, this is not the national dish of Israel. It was actually an Egyptian dish that has spread across the Arab world (much like hummus and foul). That being said, Israel now likes to say that hummus and falafel are their national dishes, but historical evidence emphatically indicates otherwise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel#History
Enjoy this tasty dish with Hummus, a pickle, some tomato wrapped in pita bread for the authentic experience (you can also substitute hummus for tahini sauce for a more earthy taste).