Egyptian Ta'ameya Sandwich with Charred Lemon

About This Recipe

Ta'ameya is Egypt's version of falafel, made from dried fava beans rather than chickpeas, giving it a distinctly green interior and a slightly different, earthier flavor than the Levantine chickpea version. It's a breakfast and street-food staple across Cairo and Alexandria, sold from carts and small shops where the patties are fried to order and stuffed hot into pita with tahini sauce, pickled vegetables and a simple tomato-cucumber salad. Charring the lemon halves briefly in a dry skillet before squeezing isn't part of the traditional street cart method, but it's a technique some modern Cairo cafes have adopted for extra depth, since the char mellows the lemon's sharpness into something rounder and slightly smoky that plays well against the fried patties. The fava bean mixture itself needs to be ground fine, not pureed to paste, so the fritters hold together but still have some texture, and it's essential to rest the mixture so the baking soda and herbs have time to work through it. Served hot and crackling straight from the oil, stuffed into warm pita with a good drizzle of tahini, this sandwich is one of Egypt's most iconic and affordable street foods.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cupsdried split fava beans(soaked overnight)
• 1onion(roughly chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 1 cupfresh parsley
• 0.5 cupfresh cilantro
• 0.5 cupfresh dill
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1 tspbaking soda
• 0.25 cupsesame seeds(for coating)
• 4 cupsvegetable oil(for frying)
• 4pita breads
• 0.5 cuptahini sauce
• 2lemons(halved)
• 1 cuptomato-cucumber salad(diced)
• 0.5 cuppickled turnips or cucumbers

Instructions

1. 1

   Grind the fava mixture

   Drain the soaked fava beans and pulse in a food processor with onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro and dill until finely ground but not pureed to a smooth paste.

2. 2

   Season and rest

   Mix in coriander, cumin and salt. Cover and rest in the fridge at least 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Add baking soda and shape

   Just before frying, mix in baking soda. Shape into small patties and press one side into sesame seeds.

4. 4

   Fry the patties

   Heat oil to 175C (350F). Fry patties in batches, 3 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

5. 5

   Char the lemons

   In a dry skillet over high heat, char the cut sides of the lemon halves for 2 minutes until blackened in spots.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Warm the pita, spread with tahini, and stuff with ta'ameya, tomato-cucumber salad and pickles. Squeeze charred lemon over the top before serving.

Variations

• •

  Use half fava beans and half chickpeas for a milder, more familiar falafel-style flavor.

• •

  Skip the sesame coating for a simpler, more traditional street-cart ta'ameya.

• •

  Add a pinch of ground cardamom for a warmer, more aromatic patty.

Storage

Refrigerate fried patties up to 3 days; reheat in a hot oven or air fryer to re-crisp, not the microwave. The raw ground mixture can also be frozen in patty form for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions