Falafel

Falafel  is a fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flat bread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables and hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a mezze.
Generally accepted to have first been made in Egypt, where the dish is widely known as طعمية (ta'amiya), falafel has become a dish eaten throughout the Middle East.

Ingredients


1 cup chick peas (white channa)
2-3 chilli peppers
1 big onion (chopped)
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp pepper powder
a bunch of cilantro & mint
1 tsp chickpea flour (besan) for binding
salt to taste
oil for frying

Method


Soak the chickpeas in water for 8-10 hrs or overnite.

Drain the chickpeas in the morning or when you are ready to make the falafels & grind it in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients except oil and chickpea flour till you get a coarsely ground mixture.
Add the chickpea flour to the ground mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 20-30 mins.
With the help of an icecream scoop or small spoon, form tiny equal-sized balls.

Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

This can be served by itself as a snack or as a filling in a pita bread or tortilla to make a nice meal.