If you like falafels, you will love tameyas as well.
Fava beans, a.k.a broad beans, are believed to have originated in Egypt some 6000 years BC.
Egyptians are one of the largest consumers of fava beans in the world.
It is not surprising at all that their version of falafel be made with them.
In the U.S, however, it is not a very popular bean. I tried different grocery stores and couldn’t find any.
Fresh fava beans are not in season right now and canned ones were as unavailable as snow in the month of August.
So I opted for the closest bean I found, which was green pigeon peas.
I thought I was settling for second best but I quickly realized I liked pigeon peas better; they had a similar taste and starchy consistency with the added bonus of a thinner, more lenient skin, which unlike that of fava beans, doesn’t need to be peeled when making tameyas.
Pigeon peas are easy to find in mainstream grocery stores; many brands also make them canned.
Tameya Recipe
Makes about 8 small tameyas
- 1 (15-oz) can pigeon peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 10 sprigs parsley
- 10 springs cilantro
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush a baking pan with oil or spray it with cooking spray.
Place the pigeon peas, garlic, onion, parsley, and cilantro in a food processor and process until reduced to a paste. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cornstarch until well blended.
Shape the mixture into small balls or patties, the size of a golf ball. Place them in the prepared pan and bake them until lightly browned 25 minutes. If you wish to brown the top and harden the crust more, broil them on high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve them with this Moroccan Yogurt Dip.
