flipFalafel, the street croquette
Falafel, the street croquette
Why this dish? Symbol of the Israeli street, falafel is eaten everywhere in the country that Sharon traversed in uniform and later in a suit: fried chickpea balls stuffed in pita with salads and tahini, it is the democratic meal par excellence.
Raw soaked chickpeas ground with herbs and spices into a green paste, shaped into balls and fried until crispy outside, fluffy inside. Served hot in a pita with salad and tahini.
This is the people's food, and I've eaten it on every sidewalk in the country. Above all, don't cook your chickpeas — that's the beginner's mistake! You soak them raw, a whole night, then grind them with garlic, coriander, cumin, until a green paste that smells good. You roll balls, throw them into boiling oil, and when they float up golden, you stuff them into a pita with salad and tahini. You eat it standing up, it drips, and that's just fine.
- •Dried chickpeas — soaked raw overnight (base)
- •Garlic, onion — a few (aromatics)
- •Fresh coriander and parsley — large handfuls (herbs)
- •Cumin, ground coriander, chili — to taste (spices)
- •Frying oil — a bath (cooking)
Falafel, the street croquette
Raw soaked chickpeas ground with herbs and spices into a green paste, shaped into balls and fried until crispy outside, fluffy inside. Served hot in a pita with salad and tahini.
Why this dish? Symbol of the Israeli street, falafel is eaten everywhere in the country that Sharon traversed in uniform and later in a suit: fried chickpea balls stuffed in pita with salads and tahini, it is the democratic meal par excellence.
This is the people's food, and I've eaten it on every sidewalk in the country. Above all, don't cook your chickpeas — that's the beginner's mistake! You soak them raw, a whole night, then grind them with garlic, coriander, cumin, until a green paste that smells good. You roll balls, throw them into boiling oil, and when they float up golden, you stuff them into a pita with salad and tahini. You eat it standing up, it drips, and that's just fine.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried chickpeas — soaked raw overnight (base)
- Garlic, onion — a few (aromatics)
- Fresh coriander and parsley — large handfuls (herbs)
- Cumin, ground coriander, chili — to taste (spices)
- Frying oil — a bath (cooking)
Ingredients
- Dried chickpeas — 250 g (soaked 12 h, NOT cooked) (base)
- Garlic — 3 cloves (aromatic)
- Onion — 1/2 (aromatic)
- Fresh coriander + parsley — 1 large bunch (herbs)
- Cumin, ground coriander, salt — 1 tsp each (spices)
- Baking soda — 1/2 tsp (lightness)
- Frying oil — 1 l (cooking)
Method
- Drain the raw soaked chickpeas thoroughly (never cook them).
- Blend chickpeas, garlic, onion, herbs, and spices into a coarse, uniform paste; season with salt. Refrigerate for 30 min.
- Fold in the baking soda just before frying, shape into flattened balls by hand or with a spoon.
- Heat oil to 170-180°C and fry the falafels for 3 to 4 minutes until well golden.
- Drain on paper and immediately slide into a pita with Israeli salad, cabbage, and tahini sauce.
How it was made : Falafel was sold from mobile counters where the vendor shaped the balls with a special ladle-mold (aleb falafel) and plunged them into a large vat of boiling oil. The secret of the fluffy texture lies in using raw soaked chickpeas, never boiled.
The contemporary twist : An open falafel bowl on a bed of salad, tahini, pickled beetroot, and spicy zhoug — the street revisited as a modern canteen.
Ariel Sharon · Charactorium
