Egyptian recipe
How to make Ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel)
طعمية
All of Egypt; falafel most likely began in Egypt
Egypt's falafel, made from dried fava beans rather than chickpeas, with lots of parsley, coriander and dill, so it is bright green inside. The fritters are fried until crisp and tucked into bread with tahini sauce, tomatoes and rocket.
Ingredients
- 250 g dried split fava beans (skinless), soaked in plenty of cold water for 12 to 24 hours
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- A large bunch of parsley, a bunch of coriander and a few sprigs of dill
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- To serve: flatbread, tahini sauce, sliced tomato and rocket
Method
- Drain the soaked beans very well and pat them dry. Do not cook them first.
- Blend the beans, onion, garlic and herbs in a food processor to a coarse green paste, not a smooth purée. Stir in the cumin, ground coriander and salt and leave for 30 minutes.
- Just before frying, mix in the bicarbonate of soda. With wet hands, shape small flat patties and press sesame seeds onto one side.
- Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to about 175°C, no more than one third full, and fry a few patties at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, until deep brown outside and cooked right through. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve hot in bread with tahini sauce, tomato and rocket. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.
Its name means something like 'a little piece of food' or 'a small tasty thing'.
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