Falafel is a traditional Arab food that has been adopted by Israeli Jews. The word falafel may descend from the Arabic word falāfil, a plural of the word filfil, meaning ”pepper.” These fried vegetarian fritters are served in most Israeli restaurants along with hummus and tahini sauce. It is usually made with chick peas. But,to be honest,I had a tin of mixed beans in the larder and was not running out to the shop again.  The idea of stuffing falafel into pita pockets is actually an invention of Yemenite Jewish immigrants to Israel. The introduction of falafel pita sandwiches made falafel portable, which expanded its popularity and made it a number one “fast food” in Israel. Any food that fits in a pocket and can be eaten on the go is good by me.

The Ingredients:

1 tin mixed beans
1 small onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh coriander
2 garlic cloves
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
Pinch of ground cardamom
Vegetable oil for frying

The Make:

Place all ingredients, except flour and oil, into a food processor. Blitz the falafel out of it, until smooth. Empty into a large mixing bowl. Stir in flour until mixture resembles a dough. Make little patties and let set in the fridge. Deep fry them in oil until nice and toasty. Serve with a dip of your choice. I made a spicy minty ketchup for mine. It was a 2 tsp tomato sauce,2 tsp american mustard,2 tsp mayonnaise,2 tsp buffalo sauce,2 tsp classic mint sauce and a swidge of honey. Mix well and Enjoy.