Recipe: Tamiya

Our recipe this week comes from our recent Sudanese Global Meal to Go. Tamiya is a popular appetizer/snack found in Sudan and is essentially their version of falafel. Sudanese cuisine has a heavy Arabic influence and many dishes commonly associated with the Middle East can be found here in some form. I love making Tamiya because they have tremendous versatility and are super easy to make. They can be used as an appetizer or as the base for a light meal. We generally serve ours with a Sudanese yogurt sauce called “mish” which is basically yogurt, garlic, hot peppers and feta cheese whisked together. The best part is that the mixture can be made in advance and even frozen for later frying which we do in a shallow pan rather than a deep fryer. We also like to load ours with lots of fresh herbs such as parsley, dill and cilantro.

Don’t be afraid of a little frying at home. Done in a shallow pan you wont have to use a ton of oil and they are super quick taking only a few minutes each. While the size of them can easily be adjusted I like to make them small, about an inch and a half in diameter for maximum surface area and crispiness. While they are best eaten fresh out of the pan, if you are making them for a party you can fry them a bit in advance and refresh them in a 350F oven for a few minutes. We hope you enjoy!

Tamiya

1 ½ Cups Dry Chickpeas

½ Onion, chopped

½ bunch of herbs of your choice, chopped

1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons Salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ tsp chilli powder or hot pepper

¼ Cup water

1 Tablespoon Flour

Oil for frying

Procedure

1) Place the dry chickpeas in a large container and cover with 3 times the amount of water. Soak overnight to rehydrate.

2) The next day, drain the chickpeas and combine in a food processor with the remaining ingredients.

3) Blend in the processor thoroughly until a rough paste is formed

4) In a large frying pan heat about ½ an inch of oil over medium low heat.

5) Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon form the mixture into flat patties and gently place in the oil. Be careful not to plop them in to avoid splattering oil.

6) Fry on each side, flipping gently, until golden brown on both side.

7) Set aside on a paper towel lined try to drain and cool slightly.

8) Eat while hot and crunchy with yogurt sauce or dip of your choice!