Falafel is a delicious food that's a staple in many Arab cuisines. The famous dish has made its way to Canada but is served in a way that's quite unusual to its original form.
I recently visited Egypt, where falafel, or as they call it, ta'ameya, was served and eaten in a different way than what I've been seeing in the Western world. And let me tell you, Canada has a lot of work to do.
For starters, do you usually have your falafel in a bowl or wrap?
Well, in the Middle East and North Africa, those two options don't really exist. In fact, most of the time, falafels are eaten on their own.
Yes, you read that right. They are often paired with a tahini sauce and some Arabic bread that you could put your falafel in, but otherwise, they aren't jazzed up the way Canadians do it.
In Canada, falafels are served as a main dish. They are basically a meat substitute found in bowls and wraps because they are filled with protein and are vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
You will sometimes find spots in the Middle East that offer falafel sandwiches, where a slab of hummus, falafel and some vegetables are put in a pita pocket. But you will never find them stuffed like you do at Pita Land in Canada.
So how can you spot the most authentic version of falafel in Canada? Here's what you need to know.
What is falafel?
Falafel is considered a street food in Egypt and it's often very cheap. You can buy a whole bag of the bites for a fraction of the cost in Canada, which seriously shocked me because $20 for falafel is unheard of in Egypt.
The street food is typically deep-fried in the shapes of balls and fritters.
Scholars have traced the origins of falafel back to the Middle East and possibly even Egypt, though there’s some debate around exactly where and how it got started. It also likely spread across the region with various cultures remixing it a bit along the way.
Regardless, they are known to be delicious, cheap and easy to make, so the delicacy took the world by storm and now the street food is found in all parts of the world.
How to make falafel at home from scratch?
There are various ways to make falafel, but the recipe I'm sharing here showcases the most authentic Egyptian kind, ta'ameya, which is to be enjoyed on its own because it's that good.
With one of the most reviewed recipes on Google, this ta'ameya recipe takes around 9 hours, so make sure to start your process the night before to enjoy the dish during breakfast.
It's also worth noting for your grocery list that Egyptian falafel is made with split fava beans, not chickpeas.
According to Allrecipes, you will need:
- 2 cups dried split fava beans
- 1 red onion, quartered
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ½ cup fresh dill
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup sesame seeds (Optional)
- 1 quart vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
Falafel recipes will vary slightly from one source to another, so you may want to experiment with a few to find out what the perfect combo is for you. For example, this New York Times Cooking recipe blends fava beans with chickpeas, and it also includes onion and lime juice.
Another faster and easier way to do this is to visit your closest Arabic supermarket and buy the pre-made powdered product, which skips all the above steps. Or better yet, you can purchase frozen falafels that are ready to be baked or fried straight from your freezer.
Are there different kinds of falafels?
Another distinction to know about falafels is there are actually different ways to make them and they vary by region. The circular bites and Middle Eastern street food can be made with chickpeas, while others are made with fava beans.
This is why falafel stuffing can look either green or yellow. You might also find a falafel with a mix of chickpeas and fava beans. The stuffing is mixed with spices and herbs to give it the desired flavour.
The most common types of falafel are those made with a mixture of both, but after trying my fair share of the street food, I can safely say that Egypt does them best.
Where to get falafel in Toronto?
Luckily for people in Toronto, there are a bunch of places in the city that offer falafel on the menu. The patties are vegan and vegetarian-friendly, making it an easy addition to diversify the foods restaurants offer.
Here are some Egyptian restaurants in Toronto that you can visit to try authentic falafel with flavours similar to those found in the Arab world.
- Tut's Egyptian Street Food
- Maha's Egyptian Brunch
- Nile River Restaurant
- Papyrus
- Masrawy Egyptian Cuisine
Regardless, after weeks of travelling around Egypt and eating falafel nearly every morning, I think it's time we make the foods we eat in the Western world as close to their authentic roots as possible.
I find this to be a similar problem with shawarma, where the street food gets translated into some sort of wrap filled with items you would never find at a local shawarma spot in the Middle East.
There are various spots in the Greater Toronto Area that offer shawarma wraps with authentic flavours. These places are usually piled up with Arabs, which is always a good hint that a restaurant is offering the truest version of the food.
I Tried Falafel In Egypt & Here's How To Find The Most Authentic Flavour In Canada
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