AS AN ARAB, I grew up eating Arabic food, and falafel is one of my favorites. I always loved to cut a piece of pita bread in half and stuff it with falafel and hummus. The best part about falafel is that it is easy to make and full of flavor. It is also a great way to teach the tongue the fine taste of Arabia.

To start, get a bag of dry chickpeas and soak them in cold water overnight or for approximately 12 hours. Drain the water and grind the chickpeas in the food processor. A 32-oz. bag will have a lot of chickpeas, so blend in batches until all of the chickpeas have gone through

the processor. It helps to have two large bowls or pots to which you can transfer the chickpeas. Next, blend it all again after adding the spices, and do not be light-handed with the parsley—it gives the falafel its color and fresh taste. After the mixture is ready, sprinkle half a teaspoon of baking soda on it to allow for a more thorough frying. Heat the oil while letting the baking soda sit on the blend of spices.

Then, it’s time to fry the falafel. Roll the mix into medium-sized balls and fry them until they are brown and cooked on the inside. Depending on how big you want your falafel to be, consider using an ice cream scooper to neatly form the balls. Be sure to round off the side so that the scoop produces consistent balls. Fry a couple falafel for a mouth-watering taste test. Alternatively, this vegan dish can also be baked to cut the calorie count.

The falafel should be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and you should be able to taste each of the ingredients.

After they are done, make a sandwich. Any leftover chickpeas can go into a homemade hummus by blending them with tahini, lemon, salt and a tablespoon of water. If not, grab some hummus from the store, put the combo of chickpea-based foods in the pocket of the pita bread and savor the spices.

INGREDIENTS

1 32-oz. bag dry chickpeas

1 bunch fresh parsley

2 large onions

1 clove garlic

1 serrano pepper

5 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak dry chickpeas in cold water overnight.

2. Drain water, then grind in food processor twice. Add spices during second grinding.

3. Let rest for 15–20 minutes after adding baking soda, then start forming the mixture into small- or medium-sized balls.

4. Fry in vegetable oil until inside is fully cooked and outside is brown.