Taameya- Egyptian falafel- brings split fava beans together with a mix of fragrant herbs and spices, fried up until a crispy on the outside, light, fluffy and bright green on the inside. Truly, the world’s best falafel recipe!

Try this taameya recipe to find out why the world’s first and oldest falafel- Egyptian falafel- is also the world’s best.

The world’s best falafel

I’m not one for hyberbole, and I am usually hesitant to wade into food wars, but this is a hill I will to die on- taameya is the world’s best falafel.

Taameya, as falafel is known in most of Egypt, has several attributes that make it superior to any other style of falafel.

Firstly, taameya is made from fava beans, not chickpeas.

The fava beans have a richer, earthy taste, and a much lighter texture than chickpeas.

Taameya fries up light and fluffy on the inside, not dense or dry.

And its light and fluffy interior is complimented by the perfect ratio of crispy fried exterior.

You see, homemade taameya are shaped into patties, not balls. This means you have more crunch per bite than with the falafel balls you may be familiar with. Their shape also helps them cook faster, so you don’t end up drying out the falafel as you cook it through.

And speaking of that crunch- taameya is coated in sesame seeds on the outside to add even more texture.

But the real magic is on the inside… Egyptian falafel is PACKED full of greens and cooks up to a bright, thoroughly green interior. No sad, beige interior here. Just fresh and bright vegetal goodness.

See for yourself…

What’s in Egyptian falafel?

So, Egyptian falafel is made from fava beans, to make this you will need to source those.

Fava beans for taameya

It’s important to know which fava beans you are looking for. To make taameya you need split, peeled fava beans.

You can find these at any Middle Eastern market or online.

Make sure you are buying the correct type of fava beans.

The larger split, peeled fava beans can be seen below on the left. On the right, smaller skin-on whole fava beans, are used to make ful medames– which happens to be the perfect complement to taameya. But make sure you know which to use for which dish!

What else is in taameya?

We will add to our fava beans various greens and spices.

In this recipe we will use:

• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Scallions
• Leeks (you can substitute additional scallions if you don’t have leeks)
• Fresh garlic
• Spices- ground cumin and coriander
• Baking powder- incorporated just before frying, baking powder helps achieve a light and fluffy falafel

How do you make taameya?

Preparing the fava beans

The first step to making taameya or any falafel happens the night before.

Place your beans in a large bowl, rinse them with cool water, then fill the bowl with enough cool water to cover the beans by at least 2-3 inches.

Set aside overnight, or minimum 8 hours. The beans will soften and increase in size considerably.

Preparing the mix

Once your fava beans have soaked overnight and been drained, you can get working on your falafel mix.

To start, wash and trim all your veggies, and chop them coarsely, like so:

Next, process your ingredients in a food processor.

Unless you have a very large food processor, you will need to do this in batches. I have an 11 cup food processor and do this in two batches.

Simply toss in roughly half of each ingredient- except for the baking powder, that goes in later- and pulse in processor, scraping down the sides intermittently.

You want the mix to have tiny chunks, and not be totally pureed. But you also want it to be processed thoroughly enough that it sticks together like a dough.

Test it by picking some up and making a ball, it should hold together.

It should look like this:

Now, if you are using your mix right away, you can now add in the baking powder.

If you want to fry it up later, do not add baking powder yet.

Storing taameya mix

Usually, I fry about half of my taameya, and store the other half.

You can store taameya mix in the fridge for up to three days, or in a sealed container in the freezer for a few months.

Either way, remember to add baking powder only before you are going to fry the taameya.

So, if you are frying half the mix, add half the baking powder to it, and store the rest. Leave yourself a little reminder to add the other half of the baking powder when you cook that up.

Shaping taameya

Ok, so it’s time to shape your taameya.

As I mentioned above, taameya, or Egyptian falafel is usually formed into patties, not balls.

You can form the patties freehand if you wish. But for uniform taameya, I like to use an ice cream scoop.

Here I used a scoop that holds two tablespoons of mix. Scoop your mix onto a flat surface, like a parchment paper-lined tray.

Don’t pack the mix too tightly.

Then, press each little mound to flatten it into a patty.

Next, top each patty with sesame seeds. Press the seeds into the taameya to make sure they stick. Then, carefully flip each patty over, using a spatula if necessary, and top the other side with sesame as well.

Frying taameya

Now you’re ready to fry up the world’s best falafel.

Heat neutral, high heat oil in cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat.

Make sure to give the oil time to heat up until it is shimmering, about 4-5 minutes. Do not rush this step. If the oil is not hot enough, the taameya might stick to the pan and fall apart when you try to move them.

Using a flat spatula, carefully transfer the taameya to the hot oil. Be gentle. The taameya should stick together, but will be a bit fragile, so you need to handle them carefully.

Fry the taameya for a few minutes without disturbing them. Moving them too soon can make them split. Begin moving and flipping them when you see the edges turn a deep brown.

Cook, flipping as necessary, until both sides are a deep brown color with some green peeking through.

Taameya will come out a darker brown than you might be used to seeing in chickpea falafel variations, this is normal.

Once your taameya is ready, transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Serving taameya

Taameya can be eaten any time of the day, but traditionally, it is a breakfast food. It makes a delicious, protein-packed breakfast.

Whatever time of day, taameya is best served with homemade tahina sauce. This creamy and nutty sauce is perfect for dipping your taameya into, or topping a perfectly packed pita.

If serving at breakfast, serve taameya alongside pita or balady bread, and try making a true Egyptian breakfast spread by serving some mix of stewed Egyptian fava beans aka ful medames, pickled eggplant or other pickles, fresh veggies, cheeses, olives and egg dishes.

Eat taameya with

Bel hana wel shifa, enjoy!