United Arab Emirates – Falafel

by Adelina Aida

Falafel is a dish from Arab cuisine. It is actually a ball-shaped dish that is deep-fried and then served. It is prepared from the beans like chickpea, kidney beans, and sometimes with green fresh peas. Seasonings of traditional Arabic cuisine is added to the beans and then they deep-fried into a small ball-shaped. This snack is served with different sauces as a personal choice like garlic sauce, tahini sauce, mustard sauce, and hot sauce.

It is included in the street food of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and even in Egypt. Falafel is popular because it is all-time favorite snack of people while watching movies, long driving, or sunset evenings. It is so widely enjoyed by the people, so now it is said that Falafel is included in the national dishes/ cuisine of Egypt and Palestine.

It is almost the same as Fritters, but fritters have some link with the meat but the procedure of cooking is almost the same. This is a purely vegetarian dish and loved by anyone who can eat tons of Falafel.

FALAFEL PLATTER

Falafel is not a dish itself. It is a snack but it can be served as a wholesome meal in a form of a platter with different sauces, vegetables, and pita bread. This huge plate is full of flavors, taste, and excitement. This is very light in spices but full of a kick to flavors. Many different varieties of Falafel platter are served with many variations like the addition of tofu, olives, some green vegetables, Humus, and many more with the taste you like.

COOKING TECHNIQUES

The only cooking skill requires in making this falafel is frying. A perfect temperature of the oil is necessary while frying to give it a full crunch, optimal color, and amazing taste. About 3 to 4 inches of oil in depth is required in a pot. Then around, 350 to 400 degrees is good enough for frying small balls of falafel.

Falafel platter varieties

• Falafel balls
• pita bread
• Tahini sauce
• humus
• hot sauce
• Green veges
• Cherry tomatoes
• Tofu
• Feta cheese
• Olives
• Tzatziki sauce etc.

Course : Main, snack, Appetizer

Servings : 5 falafel balls per plate with 2 pita bread some sauce and veges

Cuisine : Arab cuisine, Middle east

Time of cooking : 40 minutes

Calories : 120 kcalories

INGREDIENTS OF FALAFEL

• 1 cup chickpea
• 1 cup fresh green peas
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 tablespoons of white flour
• 1 teaspoon cayene pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon garlic chopped

COOKING METHOD

• Take chickpea and soak them for 2 hours.
• Now take soaked chickpea, fresh green pea, onion, garlic, and spices into a food processor or chopper and make a thick paste out of these ingredients.
• Add plain flour into the paste to make it smooth.
• Now heat up vegetable oil, and add small balls made up from this paste.
• Fry till they get medium brown color.

SERVINGS

Take a big platter, add 5 falafel per plate and with it add 2 pita bread. Now in a small bowl add humus or tahini sauce and put it on a platter. Then cut onions, tomatoes and olive seasoned it with salt and pepper. Put this on the side of the platter. Give some pieces of tofu or feta cheese.

ENJOY!