FALAFEL (FREE OF GLUTEN AND VEGAN)

The greatest comfort meal is falafel. A quality falafel should have a crispy outside and a light, airy inside. It goes well with hummus, tahini, chopped lettuce, and parsley in a pita pocket bread. It’s so good straight out of the hot oil that you’ll have to restrain yourself from eating it all at once.

My spouse may have a like for this dish. Israelis have adapted falafel from Arab cooking, and the chickpea-based kind is particularly well-liked. It is the most basic street food, actually. Approximately two to three euros will get you a packed pita full of flavor. Every town has little huts strewn along the side of the road and poking out of the wall in crowded areas like marketplaces, where they sell them freshly made and immediately fried. Eating the crispy, warm, and fresh falafel balls is one of the key components of a good falafel. Thus, while the balls are deep-frying, you will often have to wait in line for a few minutes. A decent falafel vendor, however, will always provide you with a falafel ball to nibble on as you wait, tantalizing your taste buds until that pita is in your hands.

FAMILY FALAFEL

I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a big fan of falafel. Up until the day my intelligent friends brought me to Israel Haifa, a large northern city, for falafel. There is a place called “HaZkenim Falafel” (The Old People Falafel) in the Wadi Nisnas region. Words cannot express how good their falafel is; if you ever have the chance to sample it, you will also become a believer. Here’s a photo from our most recent visit; my dog Pi and daughter Gaia are big fans of the falafel movement!

And fortunately for us all, Naifa Mulla, one of Israel’s most amazing up-and-coming young chefs, just released her falafel recipe on Instagram. This means that we won’t have to wait long to visit Haifa, Israel. During my most recent visit to Tel Aviv, I had the great fortune to dine on Naifa’s homemade cuisine and have a little conversation with her after the dinner. It was an incredible experience. In case you still need to brush up on your Hebrew, here’s a recipe that you may customize to your own liking, based on Naifa’s recipe with a few minor adjustments.

RECIPES FOR FALAFEL

Choose your chickpeas first; choose the tiniest variety available. Then leave them in a dish on your kitchen counter overnight to soak in a large amount of cold, fresh water. During this period, change the water at least once. These tiny fellows will take up a lot of water, so be careful to fill it up to the brim.

Should your cooking plans suddenly change, you may store the chickpeas in a jar with fresh water and refrigerate them for use the next day. Thoroughly drain them when you’re ready.

Add a red or white onion, cloves of garlic, a peeled potato, parsley, and coriander (you may omit it) to the food processor.

To scrape down the sides, pulse and stop a few times. Though not perfectly smooth, we want the texture of the bowl to be almost the same throughout. A gritty, rather harsh dinner. In between a paste and grains. While pulsing, drizzle in some olive oil.

After everything has been well processed and mixed, transfer to a fresh bowl and stir in the nutmeg, baking powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. If you want to make it spicier, you may also add some Aleppo pepper, chile, or other spices.

Stir everything well, place a lid on it, and let it to rest for approximately half an hour.

Prepare your favorites in the meanwhile! I used olive oil and enough of lemon juice to finely slice a red onion, cucumber, and plain tomato. If desired, add some fresh pita bread, chopped preserved lemon, chopped parsley, and of course, some hummus and tahini.

When everything is prepared, fill your pot halfway full of oil for deep-frying. Here, we’re seeking for medium heat, or around 170 C. Your falafel will burn on the exterior until the interior is cooked if the temperature is too high. The falafel may lose crispness and may absorb more oil than you would want if it’s too cold. Form the balls using a falafel spoon (or two spoons). We want our falafels to be crispy and airy, not overly thick.

Don’t let too many of them slip into the heated oil at once to avoid diluting its heat. I work on around ten at once.

After 30 seconds, stir them around in the oil with a large slotted spoon. Give them five minutes or so to become a gorgeous golden brown.

To drain the oil, transfer to a strainer or a baking pan covered with kitchen paper. Enjoy your warm meal!

If you prepared this crispy falafel, please think about snapping a photo and tagging me on Facebook Street Food Fan or Instagram @streetfoodfan. I would want to see and hear your thoughts on it!