I eat a lot of falafel. It can come from a cart, a restaurant, or even a deli case; I don’t really discriminate. But I probably should be more picky because most of the falafel isn’t great. So much of the falafel out there is greasy and falling apart or dense and dry.
But after making King of Falafel & Shawarma’s falafel recipe in Alexandra Penfold and Siobhan Wallace’s new cookbook, New York a la Cart, I may stop buying my falafel pre-made (unless of course I happen to be in Astoria and can visit the Falafel King himself).
These falafel are made properly, with soaked dried chickpeas and a whole party of spices. Rolled into small balls and fried for just a few minutes, they emerge crisp-tender and fragrant. They’re perfect in pita sandwiches or eaten one by one, with your hands, dipped into a giant bowl of tahini.
Why I picked this recipe: Falafel is probably my favorite street food. Making this version was a no-brainer.
