Falafel Misr (Egyptian Ta'amiya Fava Bean Falafel)

About This Recipe

Egyptian falafel — known locally as ta'amiya (طعمية) — is distinct from its Levantine cousins in a fundamental way: it is made exclusively from dried fava beans (ful), not chickpeas, a tradition that dates to Coptic Christian communities who developed it as a protein-rich Lenten food over a thousand years ago. The result is a greener, more herb-dense fritter than the Lebanese or Syrian version, with a more pronounced earthy flavor from the fava beans and a distinctive exterior coating of sesame seeds that add crunch and nutty fragrance. Cairo's ta'amiya are famous throughout the Arab world — the shops lining the streets of downtown Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar serve hundreds of these small patties fresh from the oil every morning, eaten in aish baladi (Egyptian flatbread) with tahini sauce, sliced tomatoes, pickled vegetables, and a scattering of fresh parsley. The key to authentic ta'amiya is abundant fresh herbs — parsley, cilantro, and dill — which turn the mixture vivid green and give the finished falafel its signature color, and the use of only soaked raw fava beans, never cooked ones.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gdried split fava beans (ful nabed)(soaked 24 hours — NOT cooked)
• 1 large bunchfresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 bunchfresh cilantro
• 1 small bunchfresh dill
• 1 mediumonion(roughly chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 4 stalksspring onions(roughly chopped)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1/2 tspground cayenne pepper
• 1 tspfine salt
• 1/2 tspbaking soda(added just before frying)
• 4 tbspsesame seeds(for coating)
• 1 Lneutral oil(for deep-frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the fava beans (24 hours ahead)

   Place dried fava beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least 10 cm. Soak for 24 hours, changing the water once. They will roughly double in size. Drain and thoroughly pat dry.

   Use split dried fava beans (the skin already removed), not whole dried fava beans with the dark skin, which require longer soaking and make a darker, tougher ta'amiya.

2. 2

   Process to a sandy paste

   Combine drained fava beans, parsley, cilantro, dill, onion, garlic, and spring onions in a food processor. Pulse until a coarse, slightly textured paste forms — it should look like wet sand, not smooth hummus.

   Process in batches if needed. The mixture must retain texture — over-processing produces ta'amiya that disintegrates in the oil.

3. 3

   Season and rest

   Transfer to a bowl, add cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The mixture should be firm enough to shape but not sticky.

4. 4

   Add baking soda and form patties

   Just before frying, fold in the baking soda. Egyptian ta'amiya are traditionally formed as flat discs (not balls like Lebanese falafel) about 4 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick. Form the mixture into patties and press both sides into sesame seeds.

5. 5

   Fry until deep golden

   Heat oil to 180°C. Fry ta'amiya in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels. The sesame seeds should be toasted and fragrant.

6. 6

   Serve in Egyptian flatbread

   Serve hot in aish baladi (Egyptian flatbread or pita) with tahini sauce, sliced tomatoes, pickled vegetables, and fresh parsley. Eaten for breakfast in Egypt with a glass of hot mint tea.

Variations

• •

  Baked ta'amiya: brush with olive oil and bake at 220°C for 20 minutes, turning halfway. Good but lacks the authentic crust.

• •

  With dried cilantro: some Egyptian recipes use a mixture of fresh and dried herbs for a more concentrated flavor.

Storage

Cooked ta'amiya keeps refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat in a 200°C oven for 5–7 minutes. Unformed raw mixture can be refrigerated for 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions