If you are as happy as we are about the first food truck finally rolling into the Motor City, we can only hope that falafel, one of the staples of street food, soon finds its way to a food truck near us very soon.

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish with Egyptian roots and is considered to be one of Israel’s official foods.  In fact, falafel is so in demand, McDonalds created a “McFalafel” to be served at some of its restaurants.  Made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans, falafel is a deep fried patty or ball (usually a ball) that is traditionally served in a pita or other unleavened breads such as lafa or khubz and eaten like a sandwich.  The beans are kept raw and soaked in baking soda before being ground together with garlic, scallions and parsely.  Coriander and cumin are added for a deep, rich  flavor  before the mixture is shaped into balls or patties, either by hand or using an aleb falafel.  Deep frying is the traditional method of
cooking, though some do bake it in the oven. A vegetarian dish, falafel can be topped with hot sauce, pickled vegetables or salads.

In the Middle East, falafel is a centerpiece of several eating rituals: a meze, which is a selection of small dishes served as lunch or dinner (in some cultures, it is the precursor to a large meal); the iftar, which is the meal eaten after sunset to break the daily fast during Ramadan (the Islamic month of fasting).  Though falafel is not a typically Jewish dish, it has been adopted by Jews as a part of their diet because it contains only vegetables and can accompany meals containing dairy or meat.

In North America, falafel was slow to gain a following, though it was popular in Jewish and Middle Eastern neighborhoods and among vegetarians.  Once street food vendors in areas like New York City began to use it, it became more commonplace.  Many health food stores sell falafel mixes for home use and popular uses include veggie burgers, sloppy joes even
spaghetti and meatballs.

The “New York Times” pegged falafel as its “Recipe of the Day” a few years ago.  Try it!

Falafel

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Time 1 hour, plus 24 hours

Summary

First, keep the amount of water you use when grinding the beans to an absolute minimum. More water makes grinding easier, but it also virtually guarantees that the batter will fall apart when it hits the hot oil. If this happens, bind the remaining mixture by stirring in a little flour.

The second essential step is to get the oil hot enough: 350 degrees or a little higher. If you don’t have a thermometer, just wait until the oil shimmers and then add a pinch of the batter. When it sizzles immediately, sinks about halfway to the bottom, then rises to the top, the oil is ready. If it sinks and stays down, the oil is too cold; if it doesn’t sink at all, the oil is too hot.

Ingredients

• 1  3/4 cup dried chickpeas
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• Scant teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 1 cup chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, for frying

Method

1. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 or 4 inches; they will triple in volume. Soak for 24 hours, adding water if needed to keep beans submerged.

2. Drain beans well (reserve soaking water) and transfer to a food processor. Add remaining ingredients except oil; pulse until minced but not pureed, scraping sides of bowl down; add
soaking water if necessary to allow machine to do its work, but no more than 1 or 2 tablespoons. Keep pulsing until mixture comes together. Taste, adding salt, pepper, cayenne or lemon juice to taste.

3. Put the oil in a large, deep saucepan to a depth of at least 2 inches; more is better. The narrower the saucepan the less oil you need, but the more oil you use the more patties you
can cook at a time. Turn heat to medium-high and heat oil to about 350 degrees (a pinch of batter will sizzle immediately).

4. Scoop heaping tablespoons of batter and shape into balls or small patties. Fry in batches, without crowding, until nicely browned, turning as necessary; total cooking time will
be less than 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.