Falafel
Photo: Burkhard Mücke · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Falafel most likely began in Egypt, made with fava beans, and spread through the Levant after the First World War, reaching Beirut by 1933 and swapping in chickpeas along the way. Food rationing in Israel from 1949 pushed the cheap, protein-rich fritter into daily eating, and historian Gil Marks credits Yemenite Jewish immigrants of the 1950s with popularising the pita sandwich version, though a 1939 Palestine Post article already describes falafel sold in pita as street food. HaKosem, open on the Shlomo HaMelech corner since 2001, and Falafel Gabay on Bograshov Street both serve it crisp in a soft pita, piled with salads and pickles.

Common allergens: Gluten, Sesame

Make it at home

Yield Makes 20 falafelHands-on 30 minTotal 13 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 250g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (not cooked)
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Large handful parsley leaves
  • Large handful coriander leaves
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Sunflower oil, for deep frying
  • Pita, tahini, chopped salad and pickles, to serve

Method

  1. Drain the soaked chickpeas well and pat dry. Do not cook them; raw soaked chickpeas give falafel its structure.
  2. Pulse the chickpeas, onion, garlic and herbs in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed to a paste.
  3. Add cumin, ground coriander, baking powder, salt and pepper. Pulse briefly to combine. Rest the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  4. Heat oil to 175C in a deep pan. Shape the mixture into walnut sized balls or use a falafel scoop.
  5. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until dark golden and crisp outside. Drain on paper and stuff into warm pita with tahini and salad while still hot.

Tip from the editors. Skip cooking the chickpeas; using them raw after soaking is what keeps the falafel from turning mushy inside.

Where to eat falafel

Falafel in Tel Aviv

HaKosem ★ 4.6

$ FalafelLev Hair

HaKosem on Shlomo HaMelech Street in Tel Aviv has fried falafel at the King George Street corner since 2001, now a queue-out-the-door institution.

TryFalafel with hummus and salad in pita

TipAriel Rosenthal opened it as a small stall in 2001; expect a queue at lunch and eat standing if the tables are full.

Directions

Falafel Gabay ★ 4.4

$ FalafelLev Hair

Falafel Gabay on Bograshov Street in Tel Aviv fries crispy falafel for soft pita or a plate piled with toppings, plus stuffed peppers, hummus and shawarma.

TryFalafel plate piled with salads, pickles and chips

TipOrder the falafel plate; it comes with a pita so you can build a sandwich, and the toppings pile up fast.

Directions

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