Ta'ameya

Egyptian bean fritters

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried white navy beans (or any dried beans)
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch of scallions, coarsely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 small bunch of mint
• 2 Tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1/3 cup white sesame seeds
• Oil, for frying

Directions

Place the beans in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches, add a large pinch of salt, and soak for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours in the fridge.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Line a plate with paper towels.

Thoroughly drain the beans, discard any liquid, and pat the beans dry with a paper towel.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the soaked beans, olive oil, scallions, garlic, cilantro, parsley, mint, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, chili powder, and baking soda. Process the mixture until it becomes a homogeneous green paste with no discernible bits, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula if needed.

In a spice grinder, add the coriander seeds and pulse once or twice to crack them. Mix them with the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl and set aside.

Divide the bean mixture into 1-ounce portions and roll each portion into a ball. Pat them each into a disk. Dip the flat sides of the fritter into the sesame seed mixture and re-form them into disks with your hands if they get deformed. Lay them on the prepared sheet pan until ready to fry.

Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it reaches between 325°F and 350°F on an instant-read thermometer.

In batches, fry the fritters until they are deep brown and crisp on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them and continue to fry until the other side is a deep golden brown, another 2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate and immediately season with salt.