January 25, 2021 by D.Fathia
Harissa falafel: A spicy mouthwatering Mediterranean dish

Health has been the most crucial question for ages, a pressing matter that no one can overlook. Probably that is exactly the reason why people started paying more attention to their diets and what they choose to feed on for better everlasting good health.
Vegetarianism is no longer just a creed for people wishing no harm to animals; it’s a way for people to adhere to emerging changes in the food industry and to champion a healthy lifestyle.
Ebastores chose to advocate health-friendly recipes and food options to inspire healthier communities and promote sustainable choices. Discovering the cookbooks of our ancestors, we pick delicious easy recipes for you. Harissa falafel recipe is one amazing plate we would like to offer you today.
What is falafel?
Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish that might be called different labels in different countries. Egypt is most likely the birthplace of this recipe. It varies significantly depending on the unique culinary traditions of each country.
This unique yet interesting label comes from the Coptic language. It translates as “of the many fava beans.” The plate originates in Coptic cuisine; cots do not eat meat and they came up with this recipe as it quenches hunger during long fasting hours.
Falafel might be made with chickpeas or fava beans or even both as per the desire of those preparing it. Spices such as cumin and caraway seeds, herbs, garlic, and flour are all the ingredients necessary to make a tasty falafel plate.
Harissa spice is the one essential ingredient that you cannot do without! It adds flavor and taste beyond imagination to this vegetarian dish.
If you are someone who does not like vegan food or still trying to get used to it, you definitely need to pour in harissa paste. It will take your food extra levels and beat the bland and boring vegan recipe.
Harissa falafel recipe:
Falafel is an easy recipe that you can do on your own at home. Follow our step by step directions and enjoy your cooking journey.
The ingredients are generally found in every kitchen, but if you are missing something, head to the nearest grocery and buy what you need. Here is the full list:
Ingredients:
- Chickpeas
- And/or Fava beans
- Onion
- Garlic
- Flour
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Cumin
- Caraway seeds
- Parsley
- Baking powder
- Harissa paste
- oil for frying
You can control the amount of each ingredient as per the serving purpose and the number of people around your table.
Steps to follow:
The chickpeas need to be soaked in water and left to soften for a couple of hours. If you don’t have time to wait for this process, you might want to consider putting your chickpeas in water before you go to bed and leave them to be drenched slowly.
Once your chickpeas are ready, take them off the water bowl; make sure you dry them properly; put them in the mixer with sliced onion and peeled garlic.
Pour in a tablespoon of cumin, caraway seeds, salt, lemon juice, and baking powder; add a cup of flour, two tablespoons of harissa; now mix them until you get a homogenous dough.
Add the chopped parsley and mix again. There you got your harissa falafel recipe paste ready.
All that is left is to take small quantities and shape them into patties. Once you are done, let a pan full of cooking oil heat up perfectly, and then place your rounded shapes into the pan gently.
To get the most out of your meal and enjoy its healthy ingredients fry with extra virgin olive oil or just the normal olive oil. It is the best and healthiest oils to use.
They will take a minute or two to cook and get the red seductive color. Serve them as you wish and enjoy the extraordinary taste of a vegan dish.
Falafel can be served alone, with salads, or with the tahini sauce. The following is one way of making your tahini dressing for falafel:
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 cup of tahini paste
- Peeled garlic
- Cold water
- Kosher salt
Put the garlic and lemon juice in the mixer and let them blend well; take the outcome and place it in a fine-mesh strainer and squeeze until you separate the solid remains. Throw the latter. Then add cumin and tahini paste to the liquid you got and mix them until you have a homogenous fragrant paste.
Pour in cold water and blend the paste until you get your sauce; add salt and you are done.
Now it is time to enjoy your harissa falafel recipe with tahini dressing. Sit back and cherish your cooking skills while you enjoy the taste of your homemade falafel balls.
The traditional way of eating falafel varies between different regions; Egypt is best known for its falafel sandwiches that are sold on the sides of the streets. It is a truly healthy fast food to grab whenever you feel hungry.
Harissa falafel is one typical everyday dish that has been perfected over time.