Falafel
When I ask foreign visitors what Lebanese food they’ve had before, one of the first things they’ll say is falafel. Falafel shops are scattered around the country, and each region has its own favourite, but the most notable falafel shops in Beirut are those of ‘the feuding brothers’, Sahyoun. These two identically named shops, each owned by an estranged brother and each vying for the title of ‘best falafel in Beirut’, are found on Damascus Street, or what I like to call Falafel Street. The street connects Sodeco Square to Martyrs’ Square and was the former Green Line of the civil war that separated Beirut into East and West.
On that street, a few shops before the feuding brothers’ outlets, was the maker of my favourite falafel: Aboulziz, which closed down in 2023. A close second to Aboulziz, in my opinion, is either of the feuding brothers. The brothers who run the side-by-side shops both claim theirs is the original recipe, and the sandwiches aren’t really that different.
It comes down to which one isn’t closed during Ramadan or for summer vacation. In these shops, like it was at Aboulziz, falafel balls never last long – they are never left to become cold, sad balls – but are always prepared and fried in small batches to keep them fresh.
The man behind the counter at Aboulziz used to greet my guests and me with a falafel
drizzled with tarator (tahini sauce), a piece of pickled turnip and a radish slice and mint
leaf to keep us munching as he would roll generously filled falafel sandwiches. Here, that means a wrap – not a sliced pita bread that’s strangely stuffed with ingredients where you can’t get a bit of everything in each bite.
When building your own wrap, don’t skip on the mint and parsley, as they brighten
the flavour, or the chillies, if you’re into a bit of heat. The acidity of the fermented turnip
matches the falafel perfectly, but you can replace it with cucumber pickles (no dill, for me, here) or the wild/Armenian cucumber pickle, which is my favourite.
Using tinned or pre-boiled chickpeas will result in a mushier consistency, which explains why some recipes add flour to bind the ingredients together. It is much better to soak your own chickpeas and grind and mix them uncooked. They will cook to perfection in the oil.
This recipe is an extract from Bayrūt: recipes from the heart of a Lebanese city kitchen cookbook (Smith Street Books)
