Egyptian Falafel Appetizer

Falafel is an all time favorite street food. Egyptian falafel, is made with dried fava beans unlike other parts in the Middle-Egypt where it is made with ground chickpeas. Falafel is served in Baladi bread of Peta bread, salad, and tahini, as a sandwich.

Falafel would make a vegetarian, nourishing, and delicious appetizer.

Falafel's ingredients:

• ¼ cup of fresh parsley
• 2 and a half cups of peeled dried fava beans
• ¼ cup of green coriander
• ¼ cup of dill
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon dry coriander
• medium sized onion, chopped
• Quarter of a teaspoon of red pepper chili
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of water
• Half a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate
• A quarter of a spoonful of spices
• pinch of salt
• Amount of oil for frying
• Half a cup of shallots
• Sesame for decoration

Tools:

• Mixer
• Frying pan
• Toothpicks

Garnishing:

• Rocca
• Cucumber
• Cherry tomatoes
• Lime
• Egyptian traditional flat bread (Bladi bread or Peta bread)
• Dip: tahini

1. Wash the dried fava beans well with water, making sure they are free of gravel.
2. Then, soak it in warm water for 8 hours.
3. Mix the vegetables well with the beans.
4. Chop the mixture in the chopper until you have a smooth mixture.
5. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the water, then add it to the mixture with the addition of spices, and knead well.
6. The falafel is formed into small balls, decorated with sesame, and then placed over a medium heat in a hot oil pan for 5 minutes until cooked.
7. Take it out and let the excess of oil drain on a tissue paper.

I used Baladi bread which can be made at home over a pan, rocca, cherry tomatoes and cucumber to create the falafel on stick appetizer. Baladi bread can be made at home on a pan. If you are interested ask and I will tell you how.

It's better served hot and crispy. Prepare everything while waiting for the falafel to get fried. Cut the bread, wash rocca, tomatoes and cucumber. I also used lime for decoration.

First put your bread, then rocca, then falafel,, then tomatoes and finally cucumber.

Dip it in tahini then eat it. Yum!