Easy chickpeasy
You may not know your kibbeh from your kubideh or your fuul from your fattoush but you'd be a fool not to judge Lebanese eatery by its falafel, says Annette Ekin
A falafel is a small, fried ball made from dried chickpeas and/ or white broad beans and is a common Middle Eastern snack. The falafel has hazy origins and is thought to hail from Egypt where they call it "ta'amia."
These luscious pucks are firestarters. Their "Israeli hot dog" tag is a bone of contention for others who claim falafels as their national dish. In Sydney, falafels fall under the umbrella of Lebanese food.
The Ghazals are one of the first families to bring falafels to Sydney. Abraham Ghazal says: "It began with my grandfather whose recipe came from Lebanon 40 years ago."
At 11am, Lakemba's Jasmins is full of locals hoeing into Lebanese feasts while Abraham Ghazal and his family are up to their ears in preparing orders from a small, hot kitchen. The Ghazals' family restaurant has been in Lakemba for 10 years and relocated here after leaving their first Lebanese eatery - Abdul's in Redfern - to Abraham's uncle. These crunchy and soft chickpea balls having been luring locals and falafel aficionados from all over town ever since.
Ghazal says their falafels are a blend of mashed chickpeas, garlic, fresh crushed coriander, cumin, salt, bi-carbonate of soda and water - a stock-standard Lebanese blend. After spooning the mixture into hot oil, the falafels cook for seven minutes and when their shells are golden brown they come off the heat.
"You should taste the coriander and they should be crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle and always golden brown," says Ghazal. At Jasmins, falafels denote a hearty feed and these hot balls roll out with pita bread, a colourful pickle salad and tahini dip. Ghazal himself eats his falafels wrapped in pita with tabouli, lettuce, tomato and chilli or you can do as the locals do and make a humus, falafel and hot chips wrap.
Try a good falafel at...
Jasmins, 30b Haldon St,?Lakemba 2195. (02 9740 3589)
Emma's on Liberty, 59a Liberty St,? Enmore 2042. (02 9550 3458)
Erciyes, 409 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02 9319 1309)
Saray, 18 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02 9557 5310)
Abduls, 563 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02 9698 1275)