Book of Days Tales

World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on this date. It is a day of celebration established by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978, “To promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism.” It brings awareness to the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. World Vegetarian Day initiates the month of October as Vegetarian Awareness Month, which ends with November 1, World Vegan Day. Vegetarian Awareness Month has been known variously as “Reverence for Life” month, “Month of Vegetarian Food”, and others.

I am not a vegetarian, as many recipes in this blog shows, but I make a wide variety of vegetarian meals and this fact is reflected in this blog.  I often make lentil soup or leek and potato soup as my main meal, or else beans and rice, egg fried rice (vegetarian not vegan), or soup noodles with vegetables.

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish made of a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a small patties or balls.  It is conjectured that falafel originated in Egypt as Coptic Christians looked for a hearty replacement for meat during Lent.  It has also become a popular vegan food in Egypt and throughout the Middle East. I do not give quantities here because good cooks are intuitive about such things, and tastes vary.  I tend to be rather heavy handed with spices, but you can do as you please when it comes to flavoring.

Ingredients

Dried chickpeas: do not use canned chickpeas! Dried chickpeas (that have been soaked in water for 24 hours) are an important ingredient that will give your falafel the right consistency and taste.

Fresh herbs: fresh parsley, cilantro, and dill are key.

Onion: I use leeks, but onions are traditional.

Garlic: for best flavor, use fresh garlic cloves and not powder.

Kosher salt and pepper: to taste.

Spices: cumin, coriander, and a little cayenne pepper. Along with the fresh herbs, this trio of spices is what gives falafel its authentic taste.

Baking powder: this is what gives falafel an airy, fluffy texture (many recipes skip this, causing the falafel to come out too dense.)

Sesame seeds: these are optional, but if used should be toasted.

Oil for deep frying. 

Instructions.

Soak the chickpeas for 24 hours. Cover them in plenty of water and add baking soda to help soften them as they soak. The chickpeas will at least double in size as they soak. Drain very well.

Put the chickpeas, fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, and dill), garlic, onion, and spices in a food processor and pulse a little bit at a time until the mixture is finely ground. It should not be a paste but more like coarse meal.

Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (preferably) overnight. The chilled mixture will hold together better, making it easier to form the falafel patties.

Once the falafel mixture has chilled, stir in the baking powder and toasted sesame seeds, then scoop golf ball-sized portions and form them into either round balls or patties (if you make patties, do not flatten them too much, you want them to be fluffy when they’re cooked).

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375° F/190° C. Carefully drop the falafel in the oil, using a slotted spoon, and fry for 3-5 minutes until medium brown on the outside. Fry in batches to avoid over-crowding. Drain on wire racks.

Serve in pita bread with some combination of hummus, tahini paste, tzatziki sauce, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, and/or lime juice, along with sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, tomato, red onion, and green onion.