Falafel, for those who don’t know them, are very fragrant chickpea balls, yes perfect for those who follow a vegan diet, because they provide proteins, but delicious for everyone. At the first bite you will be transported through the streets of the markets of the Middle East, flooded with the aromas of precious spices and herbs, with bright colors in the sun, with the full taste of traditional Arab cuisine.

Try offering them to your lifelong friends as an aperitif for an ethnic dinner, accompanied, perhaps, by the ever-present hummus, a truly spatial sauce made from the same legumes.

Very simple to make, they are prepared in no time at all, but they also disappear at the speed of light. One leads to another in a swirling pleasure for the taste buds.

What are you waiting for then? Get to work, we begin!

Chickpea falafel: ingredients

For this recipe, get:

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• water, to taste
• 500 g of dried chickpeas
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful of fresh parsley
• 1 handful of fresh coriander
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 50-75 g of breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• sale, 1 press
• pepe, qb
• fry oil

The preparation

These doses are perfect to satisfy 4 people.

The night before, soak the chickpeas in a bowl filled with cold water, add a teaspoon of baking soda and leave to rest overnight.

The next day, drain them and transfer them to the food processor. Finely slice the onion, peel the garlic and place them in the mixing bowl, then add a fresh bunch of coriander and the parsley. Add a cup of water, put the lid on and blend everything at maximum speed: raw chickpeas are difficult to work with, make sure the motor has a power of at least 1000 watts.

Check and turn the mixture inside the mixer, add another cup of water and mix it again until you get a rather liquid puree, almost like a soup.

Transfer it to a bowl, then gradually add the breadcrumbs to thicken. Mix, then adjust the salt, pepper and add the cumin powder. Finally, finish with a spoonful of baking soda which will act as a leavening agent during cooking. Mix well to obtain a firm but easily malleable mixture. Cover it with food film and transfer it to the freezer for 15 minutes or to the refrigerator for half an hour.

Take it back and start making many meatballs all of the same size.

Pour plenty of seed oil into a saucepan and bring it to the smoking point. Dip the meatballs, a few at a time, and fry them for about 2 minutes. They must brown uniformly over the entire surface. Drain and pat them dry with paper towels, then serve while still hot and steaming.