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How to make Mediterranean Festival’s famous falafel
Everyone in Austin knows that some of the best Mediterranean food in town is served during the St. Elias Mediterranean Festival in October. People flock to the festival, now in its 77th year, for foods like Marie Wakim’s falafel, which the Lebanon-born Austinite has been making for 22 years to help raise money for her parish, St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Church.
Wakim says she never used to make falafel when she lived in Lebanon. “We used to buy it back home, but when I came to the U.S., nobody was making it” like it was supposed to be made. So she developed her own recipe, which she says tastes even better than the falafel she was used to buying in Lebanon.
The festival takes place from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday at the St Elias Eastern Orthodox Church, 408 E. 11th St. Tickets ($5) are available at the gate and at all Twin Liquors locations.
Falafel
2 cups dried garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp. baking soda
5 cloves garlic
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
canola oil
In a pot of water, soak beans overnight with 1 Tbsp. baking soda. Wash beans very well and process in a food processor until beans turn into a paste. Remove garbanzo beans from food processor. In the food processor, mix in garlic and onion until soft.
In a large bowl, combine garbanzo paste, garlic and onion mixture, spices and 1 Tbsp. baking soda. Shape mixture into small patties.
Fry patties in hot oil and serve in a pita with chopped tomatoes and mint or parsley. Serve with tahini sauce (In a food processor, combine 1 cup tahini paste, 2 cloves garlic, pinch of salt, 1⁄2 cup lemon juice and 1 cup water).
Photos by Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman staff.
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