Tag: Middel Eastern

Falafel

7 Comments

A few weeks ago, some friends came over to teach us how to make falafel.  My sister and I LOVE falafel so I was pretty excited (we have a falafel man at a market in Bristol. That’s how much we love it.)  Unfortunately, when the day came I was ill with what turned out to be tonsillitis and had a fever so didn’t take any photos.  I’ve recreated it here to illustrate but sadly my friends don’t appear.

Ingredients

  • 500g dried chickpeas
  •  5 cloves garlic
  • 2 heaped dessertspoons plain flour
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika or chilli pepper
  • Salt and pepper
  • Small bunch fresh coriander
  • Small bunch fresh parsley
  • Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
  1. Put the chickpeas into a bowl and cover with water.  Add one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to help soften the skins of the chickpeas, and leave to stand overnight (preferably longer).
  2. 4 hours before using them, drain the chickpeas and give them fresh water with bicarbonate of soda to keep them tasting fresh.
  3. Chop the garlic finely then put the chickpeas into a blender and blend to fine breadcrumbs.  You can put the garlic in too to make sure it’s mixed in well.
  4. Put the chickpeas and garlic into a bowl.  Add the spices, salt and pepper and flour.  Chop the fresh parsley and coriander finely and mix them in too.20160502_232559
  5. Use your fingers to make little patties, about 1-1.5cm thick and approximately 5cm in diameter.  We started with just one to taste for spices and seasoning and add more if necessary.20160503_225531
  6. Heat sunflower or vegetable oil.  We did it in a saucepan because it needs to be deep enough for the falafel to swim and in a frying pan it can get a bit messy. Fry the falafel for a couple of minutes, turning once to make sure they cook evenly.20160503_225555
  7. Drain on kitchen roll and enjoy with humous, tahini, chilli sauce… however you like!20160503_230228

 

Like millions of other people, my friends are Syrians who had to leave their homeland to escape war.  In a way, they are among the lucky ones; they survived the dangerous journey through war and across the Meditteranean, they are not living in appalling conditions in one of the detention centres (in some of them it’s so bad organisations like the UNHCR are withdrawing support in protest), they are now living in safety.  Their immediate family are also alive and safe, although they are not in the same country.  But now that they are here, they have to learn a new language, adapt to a new culture, start again and all the while governments and the media across Europe are making it clear that they are unwelcome, that they are a problem.  They are referred to as ‘migrants’ and lumped in with people who cross borders illegally from safe countries in search of better prospects (as an immigrant myself I sympathise with this, but is not comparable to the situation of the refugees).

One of the brothers is only 17, and came on his own from Algeria, spending time in a ‘minors centre’ (a kind of children’s home for under-18 refugees and immigrants) before being allowed to join his older brother here.  Their hometown of Aleppo has been destroyed and it breaks my heart to see these lovely, interesting, well-educated people face so much ugliness after all they have suffered.  Because they are not numbers, they are people.

If you like this recipe, or if you are also moved by the suffering of so many innocents,  please consider doing something to help.  You could find your local branch of Refugees welcome (Refugiados bienvenidos in Spain) and donate clothes, food or sanitary products.   If you have space you could even host a refugee to help them get back on their feet.  The Red CrossThe Red Cross is also taking donations and I know that in the UK lots of volunteers are organising convoys to take urgent supplies to the Jungle in Calais.  You could donate money to a charity like the UNHCR, Doctors without Borders or Save the Children.  Amensty International is asking people to speak out on behalf of refugees. Sign up to help them, or write to your MP, or sign a petition.  The British Parliament recently voted against taking in child refugees but they are due to debate it again on the 9th May so tell them what you think.  You know it’s bad when even the Daily Mail think David Cameron is being too harsh.

I’m off my soapbox now.  I hope you enjoy the falafel. I will eventually get round to making some humous to dip them in!