Editing Falafel (section)

==Preparation and variations==

Falafel is made from [[Vicia faba|fava beans]], [[chickpea]]s, or a combination of both.{{sfn|Raviv|2003|p=20}} In Egypt, it is typically prepared with fava beans. In Israeli and Palestinian cuisine, chickpeas are commonly used,{{sfn|Raviv|2003|p=20}} while in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the wider Middle East, either chickpeas or a mix of both are used.{{sfn|Roden|2008|p=62}}{{sfn|Raviv|2003|p=20}}{{sfn|Malouf|Malouf|2008|p=90}}<ref name="Aytop106">{{cite book|title=The glutton's glossary: a dictionary of food and drink terms|first=John|last=Ayto|publisher=Routledge|year=1990|access-date=6 February 2011|isbn=0-415-02647-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vAQOAAAAQAAJ&q=syria+falafel+chickpeas&pg=PA106}}</ref> The chickpea-based version is the most popular in the West.{{sfn|Roden|2008|p=62}}

When chickpeas are used, they are not cooked prior to use (cooking the chickpeas will cause the falafel to fall apart, requiring adding some flour to use as a binder). Instead they are soaked (sometimes with [[Sodium bicarbonate|baking soda]]) overnight, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, [[scallion]]s, and garlic.{{sfn|Roden|2008|p=62}} Spices such as [[cumin]] and [[coriander]] are often added to the beans for added flavor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E7D81F30F937A35757C0A9619C8B63|title=For the Best Falafel, Do It All Yourself|last=Bittman|first=Mark|date=4 April 2007|work=The New York Times|access-date=11 July 2011|archive-date=12 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612120635/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E7D81F30F937A35757C0A9619C8B63|url-status=live}}</ref> The dried fava beans are soaked in water and then stone ground with leek, parsley, green coriander, cumin and dry coriander.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scienzavegetariana.it/nutrizione/favabeans.html | title=Fava Beans, Levodopa, and Parkinson's Disease | author=Kathrynne Holden | access-date=17 March 2013 | archive-date=22 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722191415/https://www.scienzavegetariana.it/nutrizione/favabeans.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960529/LIFE/305299944 | author=Russ Parsons | title=The Long History of the Mysterious Fava Bean | access-date=10 August 2014 | archive-date=29 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029223716/https://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960529/LIFE/305299944 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an ''aleb falafel'' (falafel mould).<ref name="Oxford Press" /> The mixture is usually [[Deep frying|deep-fried]], or it can be oven-baked.

Falafel is typically ball-shaped, but is sometimes made in other shapes. The inside of falafel may be green (from green herbs such as parsley or green onion), or tan. Sometimes sesame seeds are added on top of the falafel before frying it.

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The pita falafel [[sandwich]] was popularized after Israel's independence and in the 1950s by [[Yemenite Jews in Israel|Jewish Yemeni immigrants]]. A 19 October 1939 ''[[The Palestine Post]]'' article is the first mention of the concept of falafels served in a pita bread as a [[street food]].<ref>Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Gil Marks, HMH, 2010</ref> When served as a sandwich, falafel is often wrapped with [[flatbread]] or stuffed in a hollow [[pita]] bread,<ref name="fluffy">{{cite book|last=Marks|first=Gil|title=Encyclopedia of Jewish food|year=2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|access-date=6 February 2011|isbn=978-0-470-39130-3|page=183|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ojc4Uker_V0C&q=Encyclopedia+of+Jewish+Food+By+Gil+Marks}}</ref> or it can be served with flat or [[unleavened bread]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Basan|first=Ghillie|title=Middle Eastern Kitchen|year=2007|publisher=Hippocrene Books|isbn=978-0-7818-1190-3|page=33}}</ref> Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added.{{sfn|Winget|Chalbi|2003|p=33}}<ref>Claudia Roden, The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, New York, Knopf, 1997, 688 p. ({{ISBN|0-394-53258-9}}), p. 273.</ref> Falafel is commonly accompanied by [[tahini sauce]].{{sfn|Roden|2008|p=62}}
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