The world, along with India, has been getting more and more familiar with the wonderful cuisine of the Middle East, that has dishes and cooking styles in common with Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia too.
The stars of this geographical belt of food range from hummus, pita, muhammara, tzatziki, lentil soups, labeneh, tabouleh, Baba Ghanoush, halloumi to lavash, harissa, pilafs/ maqlubas, falafels, fattoush, shawarma/doner kebab, dolma, baklava and kunafa, among hordes of others.
It's light, easily-digestible fare, full of nutrition, that incorporates lots of vegetables, legumes and lentils, yoghurt, parsley, dill, nuts, flatbreads, extra virgin olive oil, whole grains.
Food blogger Bethica Das, who lives in the UAE, has a recipe for Falafels or Fried Chickpea Dumplings.
"Falafels," she says, "are very popular Middle Eastern street food, made from soaked, ground chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic and other basic seasonings. They are then formed into balls and deep fried, so the texture is crisp from the outside and soft inside.
"They can be enjoyed as an appetiser with hummus or as a main course inside pita breads and salads. You can also wrap them in parathas, khubz or tortillas for a meal on the go."
Bethica experiments with all sorts of international and regional Indian cooking from her native Bengal, South India (where she lived for many years) to Himachal and Maharashtrian items and today she presents a taste of the Middle East.
Falafels
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 cup kabuli chana or white chickpeas, soaked overnight
- Salt to taste, about 1½ tsp
- Handful fresh green dhaniya or coriander leaves or cilantro
- Handful parsley leaves
- 3-4 pods, garlic
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp roasted dhaniya-jeera or coriander-cumin powder
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp red chilly powder
- Pinch baking soda
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp lime juice
- Oil for deep frying the falafels
Method
- Blend together all the ingredients, except the oil, in a mixer/blender, without adding any water.
Prepare small equal-sized balls, of about 1-inch diameter, out of the ground mixture with the help of a falafel maker.
Refrigerate for an hour. - Heat the oil in a frying pan or a kadhai and deep fry the falafels in batches, over low to medium heat, till golden brown.
Drain on a tissue or paper towel-lined plate and serve hot as a snack with hummus or with pita bread and salad.
Bethica Das is a Sharjah-based food blogger and you can check out her blog Bethica's Kitchen.
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