Falafel most likely began in Egypt, where it is still called ta'amiya and made with fava beans. It traveled through the Levant in the twentieth century, switching to chickpeas along the way, and today it is street food from Cairo to Beirut to Jerusalem, shared and loved across the whole region. In Israel the pita falafel became an everyday staple in the 1950s, spread in large part by Yemeni Jewish cooks, and it remains the standard quick lunch: a warm pocket of fritters, chopped salad, pickles and a generous pour of tahini, eaten standing up.

The one rule that matters is that falafel starts with dried chickpeas that are soaked but never cooked. Ground raw, they hold together on their own and fry up crisp outside and fluffy and bright green within; canned chickpeas turn to mush in the oil. Everything else is a matter of herbs, heat and a thermometer, and the result is the kind of handheld food a crowd at a market or a match will queue for without complaint.

The falafel mixture

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (250 g) dried chickpeas
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) cold water
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cup (about 25 g) fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup (about 15 g) fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Put the chickpeas in the large bowl, pick out any stones, and cover with the cold water. Leave for 12 to 24 hours; if longer than 12 hours, put the bowl in the fridge.
2. Drain the chickpeas in the colander, shake them and spread them on a clean towel for 5 minutes to dry.
3. Put the onion and garlic in the food processor and pulse 5 times. Add the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne and salt. Pulse in 1 second bursts, about 20 to 30 times, scraping down the sides twice.
4. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the flour and baking powder until no white streaks remain. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Frying

Ingredients

• 6 cups (1.4 liters) neutral oil for deep frying

Method

1. Pour the oil into the heavy pot so it is at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep and no more than one third of the way up. Clip on the thermometer and heat over medium high heat to 350°F (175°C). Adjust the heat to hold it between 340°F and 360°F (170°C and 180°C).
2. Using two tablespoons or the scoop, shape the mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) across, pressing gently so they hold together. You should get about 20. Set them on a plate.
3. Lower 5 or 6 balls into the oil one at a time with the slotted spoon. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep brown all over. Lift them out onto the paper towels. Let the oil return to 350°F (175°C) before the next batch.
4. Turn off the heat and leave the oil on the back of the stove to cool completely before moving or straining it.

Tahini sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (120 g) tahini
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 to 120 ml) cold water
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Method

1. Make this while the falafel mixture chills. Put the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt in the small bowl. Whisk in the water a splash at a time.

Chopped salad and assembly

Ingredients

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 4 pita breads
• 1/2 cup sliced dill pickles or pickled turnips
• to taste zhug or hot sauce

Method

1. Make this while the oil heats. Toss the tomatoes and cucumber with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
2. Warm each pita for 30 seconds in a dry pan or for 15 seconds in the microwave. Cut a slit along one edge and open the pocket. Spoon in some salad, add 4 or 5 falafel, crushing them slightly, then add more salad and a few pickles. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce and add hot sauce to taste.

More from Israel