0 SPICY CARROT & CHICKPEA TAGINE, LAROUSSE CUISINE BOOK REVIEW & THE FAIRY HOBMOTHER STRIKES AGAIN

Book Review:
"Tagines Et Couscous", Ghillie Basan (Editions Larousse)

Generally, I am someone who likes to get things done fast, because I hate to not put off to tomorrow what can be accomplished now. Yet sometimes, I can be quite a big procrastinator and suspend chores until a later time (next days, weeks or months) instead of taking care of business straight away.

Some months ago (at least 5 months ago), the Editions Larousse gracefully sent me a few of their new releases to review. Being a serious blogger, I carried out my assignement without delay and wrote lengthy posts about most of them. However, one single book was left aside. For some unknown reason and no matter how much I adore the subject it deals with, I never seemed to find the right moment to choose a recipe from it, put an article together, cook the dish and photograph it.

"Procrastination is like masturbation.
At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself. "
- Author Unknown

Here's a confession. I am a perfectionist, I tend to take that task too seriously and put a lot of importance on delivering quality work, hence my refusal to get it done in a sloppy way and to dash the process. I guess that is why it took me ages to get my butt moving. Well, maybe...

I always promised myself to get the job finished by June as the cookbook contains lots of estival recipes using vegetables such as zucchinis, eggplants, bell peppers or tomatoes (I only buy seasonal and regional produces). Then, the summer holidays came and I felt that it would be waste of time if I blogged about this booklet while nobody is around or when everyone is too busy to read my critique. So, that is how I end up sharing with you my impressions on it only in October. Better later than never...

So, this Friday I have chosen to babble about "Tagines & Couscous" which is Ghillie Basan's smallish (144 pages long), but nonetheless extremely interesting publication which is a fabulous compound of scrumptious Moroccan tagine, coucous and side dish recipes (60 all in all).

Apart from being a restaurant critic and workshop host, this Scottish-based chef is also a cookery and travel journalist/writer whose articles appeared in magazines as well as newspapers (the Sunday Herald, Scotland on Sunday, BBC Good Food Magazine, TasteTurkey as well as Today’s Diet and Nutrition) and who has written a number of highly acclaimed books (over 20) about the traditional Middle-Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Ghillie Basan's book dispenses a wide variety of classic formulas for rich, hearty and aromatic meat (chicken, lamb, beef and duck), fish, seafood and vegetarian tagines (one-pots flavored with fragrant spices, cooked and served in heavy clay vessels called tagines which are generally painted and glazed - tagines are a dish as well as a piece of kitchenware), couscouses, sides (salads, ratatouilles and grilled vegetables), condiments (ras-el-hanout, harissa or preserved lemons) and desserts (melon or orange salads).

Her mouthwatering concoctions are delicious, colorful, spicy and authentic. Thanks to her easy to follow recipes, you'll be able to recreate an Oriental-style feast without trouble and in a matter of minutes as a majority of the casseroles demand less than 40 minutes of preparation. And you don't even need a the real vessel to cook them to perfection. As a mattrer of fact, you'll obtain the same results with a cast-iron pan.

The "Spicy Carrot & Chickpea Tagine" I am presenting today is just marvelously rustic, hearty and pungent. It is a quick, vegetarian, nourishing, versatile and refined cold weather meal that is common to areas of Morocco where meat is considered a luxury. It pairs really well with yoghurt and flatbread (check out my "Batbout M'Khamer" recipe). An excellent mezze item or main course!

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The Fairy Hobmother visited me and granted one of my wishes!
How cool is that?!

Many of you might have already heard about The Fairy Hobmother... For those who think that I've lost my marbles, watched too many fantasy films à la "Lords Of The Rings" and read quantities of epic novels, be reassured, everything is ok with me. I have not yet lost all my mental capacities and I am far from having taken any psychedelic drugs. No! I am just talking about someone who works with Appliances Online, an internet store which sells all sorts of home appliances ranging from cookers to washing machines. In his/her free time, he/she visits blogs and distributes out gifts (hand mixers, Amazon gift vouchers, washing machines, etc...) to individuals.

As you might have guessed by now, I am one of those happy few who got a visit from one of those good doers and was kindly offered a 50£ Amazon voucher! You can imagine how huge the grin on my face was when I received an e-mail annoucing me the news. I never would have thought that this could happen to me after visiting Angie's wonderful site. Incredible!

Well, dear readers, you can also be the next lucky one! Just leave a comment under this post, make a wish and cross your fingers. Who knows what will happen? In any case, I am pretty sure the Fairy is listening and is eager to fulfill your dream. Good Luck and many thanks to my kind Fairy Hobmother David!

~ Spicy Carrot & Chickpea Tagine With Turmeric And Cilantro ~

Adapted from "Tagines & Couscous" by Ghillie Basan.

Serves 2 (as a side dish).

Ingredients:
3 Tbs Olive oil
1 Onion, cut into half-moons
2 Cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 Tsp Ground turmeric
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 Tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs Honey
3 Medium carrots, cut into thick slices (diagonally)
1 Can (400g) Chickpeas, drained
1 Tbs Rosewater
Fine sea salt, to taste
A small bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1/2 of An organic lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a tagine or heavy bottomed pan (cast iron), add the onion and garlic. Saute until soft and slightly browned.
2. Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, honey and carrots.
3. Pour in enough water to cover the carrots and cover with a lid. Cook gently for 10-15 minutes.
4. Toss in the chickpeas and check to make sure there's still enough water in the bottom of the tagine/pan, cover, and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Add the rosewater and season with salt.
6. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cilantro over the top.
7. Serve with the lemon wedges

Comments:
The rosewater is optional, but highly recommended as it adds a very interesting flavor to the tagine.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with a dollop of thick yogurt and some flatbread ("Batbout M'Khamer"). You can also scoop some of that tagine over some rice, couscous or bulgur.

~ Tajine De Pois Chiches Et Carottes Au Curcuma Et A La Coriandre ~

Recette adaptée du livre "Tagine Et Couscous" par Ghillie Basan, Editions Larousse.

Pour 2 personnes (comme accompagnement).

Ingrédients:
3 CS d'Huile d'olive
1 Oignon, coupé en demi-lunes
2 Gousses d'ail, hachées finement
1 CC de Curcuma moulu
1 CC de Graines de cumin
1/2 CC de Cannelle moulue
1/4 CC De Poivre de Cayenne
1/4 CC de Poivre noir moulu
1 CS de Miel
3 Carottes moyennes, coupées en tranches épaisses (en diagonal)
1 Boîte (400g) de Pois chiches, égouttés
1 CS d'Eau de rose
Sel de mer, à volonté
1 Petit bouquet de coriandre, haché finement
1/2 Citron bio, coupé en quartiers

Méthode:
1. Faire chauffer l'huile dans un plat à tajine ou une cocotte à fond épais (émail), puis ajouter l'oignon et l'ail et faire revenir jusqu'à tendreté (ils doivent être légèrement dorés).
2. Ajouter le curcuma, le cumin, la cannelle, le poivre de cayenne, le poivre noir, le miel et les carottes.
3. Verser suffisamment d'eau afin de couvrir les carottes et refermer avec le couvercle. Cuire doucement pendant 10-15 minutes.
4. Ajouter les pois chiches et assurez-vous qu'il y ait encore assez d'eau dans le fond du tagine/de la cocotte. Refermer avec le couvercle et laisser cuire encore 5-10 minutes.
5. Ajouter l'eau de rose et assaisonner avec le sel.
6. Retirer le tajine du feu/la cocotte et saupoudrer avec la coriandre.
7. Servir avec les quartiers de citron.

Remarques:
L'ajout d'eau de rose n'est pas obligatoire, mais fortement recommandé car la saveur du plat s'en voit réhaussée.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec un peu de yaourt épais et du pain plat ("Batbout M'Khamer"). Vous pouvez aussi servir ce tagine sur du riz, du couscous ou du boulghour.

0 CHICKPEA & FENNEL SALAD - WHEN ITALY MEETS MOROCCO

The unique, tantilizing, heady and sunny flavors of Italy and Morocco have been rocking my world since a long time now. Already, when I still lived at home, I ate quite a few classic Italian dishes such as "Lasagne", "Pasta Alla Bolognese", "Ravioli Ai Funghi", "Ravioli Alla Ricotta E Spinaci", "Ravioli Alla Carne" (we bought the Ravioli from a caterer whom you can find selling his homemade goodies at the Geneva markets) and "Pizza". My parents being quite open food-wise, I was also blessed have the possibility to taste certain Moroccan specialities such as "Tajine" and "Couscous". Yet, although I am not new to those sunny Mediterranean cuisines, I still have a lot to discover as both are very multifaceted, offer an enormous variety of recipes and their repertoire is practically bottomless.

The food of both countries has always attracted me as it is authentic, convivial, rich in traditions, extremely palatable, wonderfully refined in it's apparent simplicity, rich in herbs and spices, so colorful, very seasonal and really healthy (lots of vegetables, olive oil as well as good protein and not many fatty sauces). With not much it is possible to create fantastic dishes with colossal visual appeal and intense gusto...

As summer is appraoching fastly and we are lucky to be able to find all kinds of amazing spring vegetables and fruits (strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, fennel, mushrooms, fresh garlic, etc...) on the stalls of our local farmers' markets, I am once again dreaming of making fabulous Italian and Moroccan dishes that remind me of the warmth of the hot days and the relaxed atmosphere surrounding that season.

Well, last Saturday, while watching Jamie Oliver's "Jamie Does Venice" and "Jamie Does Marakkech" series (from the "Jamie Does..." TV show), I started craving the fares of Italy and Morocco. The young, cheeky, bubbly, playful and energetic British chef's enthousiasm for the incomparable food of those regions of the globe caught me and his boundless love for laidback meals gave me countless ideas. Cooks who know how to communicate emotions as well as joyfulness through their cookbooks or television programs and whose passion for all things edible is contagious always stimulate my creativity and cooking mojo. They have the art of inspiring me and making my brain spin.

My fertile imagination ran wild and within a few seconds, my blank piece of paper got filled with all sorts of disorganized scribblings and an embryo of recipe took shape. Since the temperatures are rising and picnics are trendy again, I absolutely wanted to put together a salad that imperatively had to contain Swiss as well as seasonal veggies (you know my nature-friendly philosophy) and ingredients I particularly enjoy at the moment.

So, I decided to use chickpeas and lightly pan-fried fennel as a base for my salad. Then, I found that it would be interesting if I incorporated a lemony, "Ras El Hanout" and safron infused tomato sauce to wet the whole (I know whjat you are going to say about out of season produces, yet I am partially to blame here! I could not restrain from buying Geneva tomatoes from the supermarket. Not too seasonal maybe, but at least they are grown regionally), and I added a little chopped basil for an additional Italian twist. Then, once the salad had been plated, I shaved some pungent Parmigiano Reggiano and drizzled quality Jordan virgin olive oil over the top of my creation.

I would definitely lie if I told you that I was not proud of this "chef-d'oeuvre". My complexly fragrant "Italo-Mauresque Chickpea And Fennel Salad" was extremely delectable. Even my boyfriend who is not the biggest fan of legumes gobbled it and asked for seconds. The aromas of Italy and Morocco (some ingredients employed are common to both lands) blended together harmoniously to constitute a well-balanced, exquisite, summery and fulfilling dish. Never was a wedding between two different nations more perfect and sublime!

My description might have enlightened you on the nature of this gorgeous salad, but I'm sure that some of you are wondering what "Ras El Hanout" is. Rest assured, dear friends. As usual, you will not leave this blog without learning something new (I hope) from Professor Foodfreak...

"Ras El Hanout", is the king of spices in North Africa. Not surprisingly, its Arabic name translates to "head/top of the shop" and refers to a mixture of the best spices that a seller has to offer. This blend is composed of numerous different spices. Depending on the variety, certain mixes can hold up to hundred spices. Some of them are bright yellow like madras curry, certain are vibrant red and others are murky brown. Each cook, person, company and spice dealer has their own recipe of which they are proud and a combination that they carefully keep secret. Not only are all mixes unique, but they also vary from region to region, country to country and household to household.

In most "Ras El Hanout" you recognize spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ground chilli peppers, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, peppercorn and turmeric, but with some more elaborate versions you'll have problems knowing what they are made of for they also include rare spices such as ash berries, chufa, grains of paradise, orris root, monk's pepper, cubeb and dried rosebuds. Usually all ingredients are toasted before they are ground up together.

In Morocco it is commonly referred to as the "lazy cook's spice". The reason for this nickname is that no matter what you add it to, it will always give that extra oomph or umami flavor to your dishes and will drastically uplift the taste of your food. Generously sprinkled into balmy tajines, incorporated into broths and couscous, added to liquid for poaching fruits, rubbed into meat or stirred into rice, it'll be impossible for you not to fall under the charm of that intoxicating and addictive seasoning. Maghrebans even believe it is an aphrodisiac, so you have been warned!

~ Italo-Mauresque Chickpea & Fennel Salad ~
Recipe by Rosa Mayland @Rosa's Yummy Yums, May 2011.

Serves 2.

Ingredients for the "Spicy Tomato Sauce":
6 Tbs Olive oil
1 Medium Onion, chopped
4 Cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tsp Ras el hanout
1 Pinch (0.125g) Ground safron
2 Medium Tomatoes, chopped coarsely
8 Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
The zest of half a lemon
3 Tbs Fish sauce
2 Tbs Dark balsamic vinegar
1 Tsp Red Tabasco
Sea salt, to taste
Ingredients for the "Salad":
1 Medium fennel, cut into thin slices
2 Tbs Olive oil
260g Cooked chickpeas
1 Handful Basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Shaven parmesan cheese, to taste
A few basil leaves, to decorate
Olive oil, to drizzle over the salad

Method for the "Spicy Tomato Sauce":
1. Place a sauté pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the olive oil (6 Tbs) and the chopped onion. Stir-fry 1 minute, then add the sliced garlic and continue stir-frying for another minute.
2. Add the ras el hanout, safron and stir once, then immediately add the tomatoes, zest, fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, Tabasco and salt.
3. Let cook over low heat, about 12 minutes (stir regularly and crush the tomatoes), until it resembles a thickish and homogenous sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool (it has to reach room temperature).
Method for the "Salad":
4. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the olive oil (2 Tbs) and the sliced fennel. Stir-fry for 6-8 minutes (the fennel should be cooked, but still snappy). Remove from the heat and let cool at room temperature.
5. In a medium salad bowl, mix together the chickpeas, fennel and basil.
6. Add the tomato sauce. Pepper and salt to taste. Mix well.
7. Serve on 4 individual plates. Top with shaved Parmesan, basil leaves and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil (to taste).

Remarks:
You can replace the chickpeas by any other legume of your choice (Borlotti beans, fava beans, white beans, etc...).
Serve that salad at room temperature, so that all the flavors are fully developped.

Serving suggestions:
Serve some with pan-fried fish and sourdough bread.
Accompany with dry white wine (Pinot Grigio) or with a spicy rosé from Provence (Bandol)

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~ Salade Italo-Mauresque Aux Pois Chiches Et Fenouil ~
Recette par Rosa Mayland @Rosa's Yummy Yums, mai 2011.

Pour 2 personnes.

Ingrédients pour la "Sauce Epicée A La Tomate":
6 CS d'Huile d'olive
1 Oignon moyen, haché
4 Gousses d'ail frais, coupées en fines tranches
1 1/2 CC de Ras el hanout
1 Pincée (0.125g) de Safran en poudre
2 Tomates moyennes, hachées grossièrement
8 Tomates cerises, coupées en deux
Le zeste d'un demi citron
3 CS de Sauce de poisson
2 CS de Vinaigre balsamique foncé
1 CC de Tabasco rouge
Sel de mer, à volonté
Ingrédients pour la "Salade":
1 Fenouil moyen, coupé en fines tranches
2 CS d'Huile d'olive
260g de Pois chiches cuits
1 Poignée de Feuilles de basilic, grossièrement haché
Sel de mer, à volonté
Poivre noir fraîchement moulu, à volonté
Parmesan, en copeaux (à volonté)
Quelques feuilles de basilic, pour décorer
Huile d'olive, pour verser en petite quantité sur la salade

Méthode pour la "Sauce Epicée A La Tomate":
1. Faire chauffer une poêle à feu moyen pendant environ 3 minutes. Ajouter l'huile d'olive (6 CS) et l'oignon haché. Faire revenir pendant 1 minute, puis ajouter l'ail et continuer de faire suer.
2. Ajouter le ras el hanout, le safran et mélanger rapidement, puis immédiatement ajouter les tomates, le zeste, la sauce de poisson, le vinaigre balsamique, le Tabasco et le sel.
3. Cuire à température basse pendant environ 12 minutes, jusqu'à obtention d'une sauce assez épaisse et homogène. Retirer du feu et laisser refroidir (il faut que la sauce soit à température ambiante).

Méthode pour la "Salade":
4. Faire chauffer une poêle à feu moyen. Une fois qu'elle est chaude, ajouter l'huile d'olive (2 CS) et le fenouil. Faire revenir en remuant constamment pendant environ 6-8 minutes (le fenouil doit être cuit mais pas encore croquant). Retirer du feu et faire refroidir à température ambiante.
5. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble les pois chiches, le fenouil et le basilic haché.
6. Ajouter la sauce tomate. Poivrer et saler. Bien mélanger.
7. Disposer dans les assiettes, ajouter le parmesan et les feuilles de basilique dessus, puis verser un filet d'huile d'olive (à volonté).

Remarques:
Vous pouvez remplacer les pois chiches avec les légumineuses de votre choix (bolotti, fèves, haricots blancs, etc...).
Servir cette salade à température ambiante. De cette manière, les saveurs auront pû se développer.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec du poisson grillé et accompagner avec du pain au levain ainsi qu'un vin blanc sec (Pinot Grigio) ou un rosé de Provence épicé (Bandol).

0 FALAFELS

Middle Eastern cuisine is my drug. There is something about it that appeals to me and makes me addicted. I guess it has a lot to do with it being healthy, humble, yet extremely refined, fragrantly spicy, exhaliratingly exotic and rich in traditions as well as history, thus reminding me of great as well as intriguing ancient civilizations (Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Persia, etc...). It carries a kind of romantic aura that plunges me directly into mythic worlds...

But where does this magnetic attraction come from? In another life I was maybe a Summerian lady, a Babylonian warrior, a Greek amazon or a cook in the Ottoman palace's kitchens, though I also believe I could have been a Sioux or a Viking princess before I got reborn as Rosa, the "mad" foodblogger that you all know. Who knows? I can only say that an unknown bond keeps me attached to the delightful savors of that area of the globe.

I am very passionate about Greek, Turkish, Moroccan and Lebanese cooking. I cannot get enough of chickpeas, Basmati rice, pine nuts, coriander, tahini, bulgur, cumin, flatbreads (Pita, Khoubz & Lavash), olive oil, sesame seeds, honey, yogurt, phyllo, feta, etc... Those are ingredients that I would never like to live without. It is impossible for me to take them out of my diet.

Well, to make this story short, the other week my friend Corinne and I were in town and we decided to eat a little something. Corinne being married to a Palestinian man, she is also very much besotted by Middle Eastern dishes, so we decided to buy a falafel sandwich from "Parfums De Beyrouth", a take away in the red light district area of Geneva called Les Pâquis. While eating that delicious snack I told Corinne how much I love "Falafels" and I started wondering why I had never made any. After leaving the place, I promised myself to make some as soon as possible. A week later, homemade "Falafels" graced my table...

"Falafels" are little deep fried croquettes in the shape of a ball which are thought to originate from Egypt - though some people believe that they come from India - (They were eaten for Lent by the Copts. The recipe migrated further East and chickpeas replaced the fava beans.). They are a common mezze, snack and street food item all accross the Middle East. "Felafels" can be eaten topped with salad, vegetable pickles, hot sauce and a tahini-based sauce or served in a pita or wrapped in a flatbread. They are generally made with mashed chickpeas (although certain versions contain no chickpeas - Egyptian falafels are made with fava beans instead, thus their green color), bulgur wheat (not in all recipes), spices and herbs such as coriander and parsley.

To make my "Falafels" I inspired myself from many sources around the net and from my books in order to create the recipe that follows. They turned well and were close to perfect. Of course, it is my first attempt at making them, so I'm sure I can still develop and adapt that recipe a little in the future. I'll definitely try other versions soon in order to find the most perfect flavor combination and texture.

Those "Falafels" look perfect and taste wonderful. They are not greasy at all, very flavorful, delicately spicy (the spices reveal themselves to you slowly), gorgeously crisp on the outside and pillow-soft on the inside. A soul-uplifting delicacy that'll make you travel without leaving the house!

~ Falafels ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes about 24 falafels.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Dried chickpeas
1/2 Cup Bulgur
1 Big white onion, chopped
3 Cloves garlic
2-3 Tbs Fresh chopped parlsey
2 Tbs Fresh chopped cilantro/coriander
1 Big egg (~63g)
2 Tsp Ground cumin
1/4 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Kirmizi biber
1 1/2 Tsp Sea salt
1 Tsp Dried oregano
1/2 Tsp Baking powder (optional)
A pinch freshly ground black pepper
A few drops red Tabasco
2 Tbs Tahini
2 Tbs Bread crumbs (or more/optional)
Peanut oil, to deep fry

Method:
1. The day before, place the chickpeas in a bowl and cover them with water. Leave overnight.
2. The next day, put the bulgur in a bowl and cover with water. Let the bulgur stand in the water for about 15 minutes, then drain very well.
3. Place the chickpeas, onion, cloves, parsley, cilantro, egg, baking powder, tahini and spices in a blender and process until still a little grainy.
4. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the bulgur as well as breadcrumbs (you should be able to create balls/if not add breadcrumbs).
5. Cover the bowl and let rest for about 2 hours in the fridge.
6. Fill a pan with 6cm (3 inches) oil and heat. The oil should be about 190°C (375° F).
7. Deep-fry the falafels (5 at a time) until golden brown.
8. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.

Remarks:
The mixture should be blended, but not pureed.
Add a little more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet and you cannot make balls with it.

Serving suggestions:
Serve the falafels with "Tarator Sauce" and a good salad or make sandwiches with halved pita breads stuffed with tomato slices, salad (chopped iceberg), onions slices and "Tarator Sauce".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Falafels ~
Recette par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour environ 24 falafels.

Ingrédients:
1 Tasse (250g) de Pois chiches secs
1/2 Tasse de Bulghur
1 Gros onion blanc, haché
3 Gousses d'ail
2-3 CS de Persil haché
2 CS de Coriandre haché
1 Gros oeuf (~63g)
2 CC de Cumin en poudre
1/4 de CC de Coriandre en poudre
1 CC de Paprika
1 CC de Kirmizi biber
1 1/2 CC de Tsp Sel de mer
1 CC d'Origan séché
1/2 CC de Poudre à lever (en option)
Une pincée de povre noir fraîchement moulu
Quelques gouttes de Tabasco rouge
2 CS de Tahini
2 CS de Panure (et plus si la préparation est trop mouillée/en option)
Huile d'arachide, pour frire

Méthode:
1. Faire tremper les pois chiches toute une nuit afin qu'ils se réhydratent.
2. Le lendemain, faire tremper le bulghur dans de l'eau afin de le réhydrater. Laisser le bulghur dans l'eau pendant au moins 15 minutes. Bien égoutter.
3. Mettre les pois chiches, l'onion, l'ail, le persil, la coriandre, l'oeuf, la poudre à lever, le tahini et les épices dans un mixer et réduire en une masse assez homogène, mais granuleuse.
4. Mettre cette mixture dans un bol et ajouter le bulghur et la panure (vous devriez pouvoir former des boules avec la préparation/si non, ajouter de la panure).
5. Couvrir le bol et laisser reposer au frigo pendant 2 heures.
6. Remplir une casserole avec 6cm d'huile et chauffer. L'huile doit atteindre les 190°C.
7. Frire 5 falafels à la fois (pendant 5 minutes), jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient bien dorés.
8. Retirer les falafels de la casserole et faire égoutter sur du papier de cuisine. Servir chaud.

Remarques:
La préparation ne devrait pas être réduite en purée.
Ajouter un peu de panure si la mixture est trop mouillée et que vous n'arriver pas à former des petites boules.

Idées de présentation:
Servir les falafels avec de la "Sauce Tarator" et avec de la salade, des légumes au vinaigre ou bien en tant que sandwich dans du pain pita et avec des tomates en tranches, de la salade (iceberg), des rondelles d'oignons et de la "Sauce Tarator".