Falafel is a spicy chickpea dish from the Middle East. It is served with grape leaves and pita bread in the Middle Eastern countries - Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and many others. The dish is very easy to make and its versatility makes it a favorite of many. Falafel is a tasty, thick, blanket-like treat. The name "falafel" literally means "dough shaped like a shell" - hence, the name.
Falafel is a type of chickpea flour that is made from chickpeas. This is then flavored with different ingredients. The most common ingredients are onions, garlic, cumin, and spices. Typically, falafel recipes call for onions, garlic, pimento, and coriander, but you can use whatever you like. You can use all or only some of these ingredients.
A traditional falafel recipe typically calls for onions, garlic, pimento, coriander, and olive oil. You will need to add these ingredients a few minutes before adding the chickpeas because they will increase the cooking time. In addition, the pimento and garlic provide an excellent tang for this unique ingredient. The spices used in falafel are traditionally used in many Middle Eastern dishes, but are now used in many other cuisines. For example, they are a key ingredient in the popular "alamroic" cuisine of the Mediterranean.
In traditional falafel, coriander and onions are combined with olive oil and then deep-fried. The mixture is then poured into containers. In Egypt, this mixture is called "al-zawy", while in Jordan, it is called "al-nasser" (or "left over"). The reason for using onions and garlic in this dish is because they provide the tang that gives this dish its distinctive flavor. Coriander leaves have a slightly nutty flavor on their own, so they make a nice compliment to the onions. Adding parsley and mint gives this dish the traditional piquancy that makes it stand out from other Middle Eastern foods.
Another way to prepare falafel is by boiling it. To make it more delicious, replace the onion and garlic with fava beans. Fava beans are very rich in nutrients, so this is an excellent alternative to the regular beans. Just make sure you add them at the end of cooking so that they don't die. When the falafel is cooled, it will be ready to eat right away.
You can serve this delicious Middle Eastern dish with fresh flatbreads, pita breads, or zucchini sticks. Falafel is also good on its own, just cut up into bite sized wedges. It is so easy to make, you will probably want to make a lot! I have even seen it served plain with hummus and pita bread in the Middle East.
The next time you are near an Middle Eastern restaurant, ask for dishes involving falafel. Chances are that they will have a separate window where customers can order their favorite kind of falafel. A popular recipe is to make chickpea pesto, which is made with hummus, tahini, garlic, and cilantro. If you are not sure how to make it, you can purchase or try a different pesto recipe.
There is no denying that falafel is a crowd pleasing and satisfying main dish. When I was young, my mom would make me eat the falafel cookies that she made in our kitchen when I was a child. I still have a few of those cookies from when I was a child, and they are still one of the best tasting desserts I have ever eaten. In the Middle East, falafel is considered a vital part of a main dish, and should not be absent from your table when dining out in any location in the region.