Taameya or Falafel – Authentic Chickpea Patties
The authentic chickpea patties renowned as taameya or falafel represent the rich culinary heritage of the Middle East. Made from a harmonious blend of luscious herbs, freshly ground spices, and nutritious legumes, these emerald green chickpea patties are the inviting and enchanting. Whether enjoyed with warm pita bread or as an addition to a fresh salad, for dinner and lunch, with a generous dollop of hummus, fresh veggies, this falafel patties are one of a kind and truly plant based.
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Chronicles of Taameya (Ta’ameya)
My grandmother used to make these chickpea patties all the time, it’s certainly a family recipe. Her original version was based on dry fava beans, which falls into the “Egyptian style falafel” category. The word Falafel itself is Coptic and means many beans, but I always knew it as Ta’amya.
Being part of the Egyptian Armenian community my grandmother adopted a lot of dishes and tailored them to her family’s taste. When the family repatriated to Armenia in 1947, this recipe came along with them, and I inherited it. I like to keep it as close to my grandmother’s version as I can.
One thing that I remember is her falafels were always emerald green inside. The luscious cilantro leaves and scallions gave those patties a vibrant green color.
The other important ingredient is coriander seeds. Freshly toasted and ground coriander seeds give the falafel its distinct flavor and permeate the kitchen.
Why I love these?
There are so many reasons to love this recipe! It it pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides like creamy Hummus and crunchy Pickled Turnips. It’s a recipe you’ll want to keep coming back to.
Grocery and Pantry List
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Falafel Recipe Steps at a Glance
This homemade falafel recipe can be broken down into the following steps:
Step-by-step: How to Make Authentic Falafel
Step 1: Soak the Beans
Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly, ensuring there are no impurities. Transfer them to a spacious bowl and cover with cold water, leaving at least 2-3 inches of water above the chickpeas to accommodate their expansion during soaking. To this, incorporate a tablespoon of kosher salt along with a teaspoon of baking soda. Leave at least 8 hours to soak.
Step 2: Washing and cleaning the greens
Cut the ends of cilantro stems but leave most of the stems. Remove any blemished leaves and springs. Wash under the running water.
Step 3: Grinding the chickpeas
Put cilantro, scallions, potatoes, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until they are evenly chopped. Move this mixture to a bowl.
In the same food processor bowl, add the soaked chickpeas and blend them until they are coarsely ground.
Slowly incorporate the green mixture and spices while occasionally scraping down the sides to aid in the process.
Finally, add the baking soda and give it one last pulse. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Step 4: Preparing the dough and making patties
Divide the mixture into 18-20 golf balls size balls and form 1-inch thick patties.
Step 4: Frying the patties
Pour ½ inch of oil into a frying skillet and heat to 350 degrees.
Carefully transfer the patties into the oil. Do not overcrowd them, and leave some room to flip them.
Carefully flip the patties and fry the other side for another 4-5 minutes. Once they are evenly browned they are ready.
Blot the oil on a paper towel and serve.
Best Way to Serve Falafel Patties
Falafel is best enjoyed hot and fresh, whether as a snack, part of a sandwich, or alongside other flavorful dishes. You can dip your falafel in a tangy tzatziki sauce, or get creative by adding vibrant beetroot hummus for a pop of color and flavor to your sandwich. Here are a few other delicious ways to serve falafel:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to use dry chickpeas?
Yes! The canned beans do not provide the desired texture nor consistency.
One thing I have been doing, and it is working quite well for me, is to soak a big batch of garbanzo beans. After soaking, I would grind 4-cups of beans in a food processor to a coarse “sand” consistency, and place them in freezer bag; freezing them flat (as it takes a shorter time to defrost them).
Can you bake instead of frying?
Baking is always an option. I will add a quarter cup of oil to the mixture before forming the patties. It will keep them moist and help them to brown nicely.
Will the chickpea patties freeze well?
Uncooked patties can be frozen, however, the cilantro will lose its brightness both in taste and color after defrosting. As I mentioned earlier it is better to freeze just the ground chickpeas.
Tips and Wisdom from Cafe Osharak
More Recipes to Try From Cafe Osharak
If you try out this recipe, I would love to hear from you. Let me know if you find it delicious and straightforward to prepare. I am here to answer any questions and provide any suggestions. Also, be sure to explore other recipes from Cafe Osharak, as I’m sure you’ll love them too!
More plant based recipe.
Falafel – Authentic Chickpea Patties
Ingredients
- 2 cup garbanzo beans
- 1 cup cilantro roughly 2 bunches
- 1 cup scallion
- 1 each potato small
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup frying oil avocado or grapeseed
Instructions
- Rinse the dry chickpeas in cold water, and put them in a large bowl. Cover with 4-5 inches of water and let soak on the counter 10 – 24 hours.
- Rinse the chickpeas and place them in a strainer to drain.
- Place the cilantro, scallions, potatoes and garlic in a food processor and pulse until chopped (eg. little bit chunky.)
- Transfer them to a bowl.
- Place the soaked chickpeas in the same food processor bowl and blend until coarsely ground.
- Gradually add the green mix and spices.
- Scrape down a few times to help the process.
- Lastly, add the baking soda and give that one last pulse.
- Transfer the mass into the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- When ready to fry, divide the mixture into 18-20 balls and form 1-inch thick patties.
- Pour ½ inch of oil into a frying skillet and heat to 350 degrees.
- Carefully transfer the patties into the oil. Do not overcrowd them, and leave some room to flip them.
- Carefully flip the patties and fry the other side for another 4-5 minutes. Once they are evenly browned they are ready.
- Blot the oil on a paper towel and serve.