Falafel: an alternative version with chickpeas and cooked ham

Falafel originated in Egypt and is made with vegetables only, so it’s vegetarian and kosher. Falafel is eaten stuffed in a pita pocket or simply served on a plate together with a mixed salad, usually accompanied by a yogurt-based or very spicy sauce, although the recipe itself is not spicy. 

Falafel can be made with chickpeas, broad beans or lentils, but if you want an alternative, you can add some cooked ham or speck for simply delicious falafel balls that are truly unique. Falafel can be baked in the oven or fried in vegetable oil; they’re perfect for lunch at the office - just reheat them - or for a family dinner and as a course for a Sunday brunch. Use falafel as you would meatballs for a hearty and flavoursome main course. 

The Recipe:

First, soak the dried chickpeas in water for 12 hours. The chickpeas will not be cooked and in fact must be dried off after soaking so as to achieve a compact dough that doesn’t fall apart during the baking or frying. After 12 hours, drain the chickpeas and dry them well in a kitchen towel or leave them to air-dry. The chickpeas must be thoroughly dried. Once they are dried, put the chickpeas in a blender together with a peeled onion, the garlic clove without its germ and the cooked ham or speck. Blend until you have a smooth dough. Add cumin and some parsley coarsely chopped by hand and blend again. 

Once you have a dough of the right consistency, put it in a bowl and cover with plastic film; let it rest in the refrigerator for about an hour. This step will also help give the dough the right compactness. 

Then make the balls, working the dough with wet hands. Flatten them slightly and fry them in the very hot oil. Fry two of the balls as a test; if they fall apart, it means the oil temperature is too high. Once cooked, the falafel are ready to be served hot accompanied by a sun-dried tomato sauce; you can also make a spicy sauce, perhaps using ginger, or a super-quick salsa verde using parsley that will go beautifully with the ingredients of the falafel with ham.