Falafel

Falafel is a fried legume fritter, which had its origin in Egypt. It is traditionally an Arabic food, served along with hummus and tahini sauce or stuffed into pita along with vegetables, pickles, hummus etc.

Preparation: 

• Soak dry Garbanzo beans or Chickpeas in water with a teaspoon of baking soda. Do not use canned chickpeas. Soak overnight. 
• Drain and grind coarsely along with the chopped onions, parsley, all the spices and salt. Do not add water. 
• Remove the mix from the food processor into a bowl. Mix well. Remove the chickpeas which are still whole. 
• Refrigerate the mix for an hour. 
• Roll into lime-sized balls and deep fry. 
• Drain on a paper towel. 
• Allow to cool. Now it is ready to be served. 

Ingredients: 

Dry Chickpeas (kabuli channa) - 500 grams 

Baking soda - 1 tsp 

Coriander powder - 1 tsp 

Cumin powder - 1 tsp 

Black pepper (whole) - 1/4 tsp 

Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp 

Salt -1/2 tsp 

Garlic cloves (roasted) - 5 

Onion - 1 small, chopped

Parsley leaves chopped - 3 - 4 tablespoons 

• Note: If you are unable to roll the coarsely ground mix into balls. Add  one or two tablespoon of flour and mix thoroughly.
• You can also use equal quantities of chickpeas and green gram (moong) instead of using chickpeas alone.

Raw Banana/Plantain Fritters / Bajjhi

Raw or Green banana contains Resistant Starch which does not breakdown like regular starch, so it passes through the intestines like insoluble fiber. Resistant starch and high fiber increases satiety and thus low consumption. Increases the rate of fat burning.Good for dieters and diabetics. Resistant starch is food for the good probiotic bacteria in the intestine. So bananas can prevent diarrhea and reduce the risk of colon cancer. It helps in the absorption of nutrients, especially calcium. Raw and ripe bananas contain Vitamins B6 ,C and potassium. 

Preparation : 

• Wash the banana/Plantain, Peel it lightly. Do not remove all the skin. Set aside.
• Take the besan/Chickpea flour in a small bowl. Add salt to taste, then add the chilly powder, cumin seeds, asafeotida and baking soda. Add water little by little and make a very thick batter. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Cut the banana into 3 or 4 equal parts. Then slice each piece into 3 or 4 pieces. 
• Heat oil in a pan. Dip each piece in the batter and deep fry. 
• Spread out on absorbent paper to remove excess oil. 
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce. 

Ingredients:

Raw Plantain - 1 

Besan / Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup 

Salt to taste 

Red chilly powder - 1/2 Teaspoon 

Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

Asafeotida -a pinch 

Baking soda - 2 pinches 

Water