Ta'ameya (Egyptian Fava‑Bean Patties)
Crisp-edged, bright-green patties of ground fava beans and fresh herbs — the classic Egyptian street-food falafel known as ta'ameya. Crunchy outside, herbaceous inside; serve with lemon and tahini sauce.
AI image1 hr
start to finish
40 min
hands on
Some skill
difficulty
4
servings
Ingredients
For the tahini sauce
To serve
Contains sesame. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.
Method
Rinse the dried fava beans well and pick out any stones or discolored beans.
Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 3 inches of cold water; soak overnight or for 8–12 hours.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans thoroughly and pat lightly to remove excess water.
Work in batches: add the drained beans to the bowl of a food processor with parsley, cilantro, dill, green onions, garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
Pulse the mixture until it becomes a coarse, uniformly green paste—scrape the sides as needed; do not purée into a smooth paste.
The mixture should hold together but still be slightly grainy; overprocessing makes it gluey.
Transfer the processed mixture to a bowl and stir in the baking powder, chickpea flour and 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal or semolina.
Cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to firm up and make shaping easier.
Shape the chilled mixture into oval patties about 2½ inches (6 cm) long and ½ inch thick, pressing gently so they hold together.
Lightly dust each patty on both sides with the remaining cornmeal or semolina and set on a tray while you heat the oil.
Heat the oil in a deep skillet or medium pot to about 350°F (175°C) — it should sizzle when you drop a pinch of the bean mixture in.
Fry the patties in batches without crowding: cook 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp; adjust heat to keep oil at a steady temperature.
A test patty tells you if the mix needs more flour or if oil is too hot.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked ta'ameya to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
Make the tahini sauce: whisk together tahini, lemon juice and crushed garlic; add water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is smooth and pourable; season with a pinch of salt.
Serve warm ta'ameya with tahini sauce, lemon wedges and pickles or chopped salad; they also work inside pita or flatbread.
Worth knowing
- If you can't find dried fava beans, use soaked and cooked dried lima or broad beans as a last resort, but flavor and color will differ.
- Do not use canned fava beans—too soft and watery for shaping.
- If patties break while frying, the mixture is too wet—stir in 1 tsp more chickpea flour at a time and chill briefly.
- Keep oil temperature steady; too low → greasy patties, too high → burnt outside, raw inside.
- Make a small test patty first to check seasoning and texture before shaping the whole batch.
Make it yours
Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.
VegetarianVeganBudgetMeal prepKid friendly
More Egyptian cooking
An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Egyptian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegetarian and vegan as listed.