something worth passing on

it's safe to say that we all know what falafel is; a now standard late-night food that needs no real introduction.

the arab street food that made its way around the arab world and beyond. from amman to cairo, gaza to beirut, on street corners and in home kitchens across the planet. it’s one of the few foods that has traveled with as much consistency as it has; adapted in countless ways, but always instantly recognizable.

that kind of reach doesn’t happen by accident. it speaks to the history of migration, simple but amazing preservation efforts, and the way a meal can deeply root itself into everyday life.

 

the blend behind the bite

before the chickpeas, the crunch, and way before anything hits the oil though, there’s this crucial spice mix to consider.

shawarmaji's was inspired by the mix i grew up around at home. to get to this final recipe that we use, i recreated our household falafel mix from my childhood, but i also tried to incorporate some of the additional notes i tasted in falafel from some of my favorite falafel shops in amman. so ours has a combination of warming spices like cardamom, cumin, coriander, ginger, and just enough salt to bring everything into balance. it’s the base note that makes falafel taste like falafel, whether you’re standing on a sidewalk in irbid, or your own kitchen at home. 

every batch we fry at our restaurants starts with this spice blend.

a table for everyone

when i think about how of some of these things that i do now as a family man started, i realize that they weren’t actually taught to me. weekly occasions didn't have names like "falafel night". i always knew when it was happening though.

i just sat near and watched, or even sometimes helped shape patties if they let me, and stood at the counter to eat the pieces that were deemed "not good" because they weren't the perfect shape.

it was always a communal effort too. someone brought fresh bread from our neighborhood's little corner-store, another person got tahini on their way home from work to make the sauce, all while the falafel mix was underway; chickpeas soaking, parsley finely chopped, and spice blend measured and ready. the kitchen was loud and busy, the smell of oil warming up on the stove filled the air, and the sharp smell and sight of red in a jar on the kitchen table was central to the whole picture. shatta just sitting there, open lid, with no label and a spoon sticking out of it.

none of this was formal either, which is what i'm now realizing made it so special. it's just how we gathered on weekend mornings. no invitations or organized task list; people just came when they could. someone then made tea, and someone else brought out a plate of assorted pickles and salad, and we all bit into hot falafel balls as they came out of the frying pan and before everyone was seated at the table.

past the patty

now that i run a restaurant, it’s funny, i find myself recreating that same setup all the time.

shatta that adds brightness and heat without overwhelming anything else, and a spice blend that does the behind-the-scenes work underneath it all. and the result is falafel that’s warm, crisp, and tastes just like they did in my mom or teta's kitchen. i couldn't ask for anything better as a career choice honestly. who doesn't want to have daily and direct access to the best parts of their upbringing? it's moments like these that really make statements like "it's the simple things in life" so true.

what's great about it too is that you don’t need to limit your use to only falafel. i use it in a fall freekeh that my family loves (recipe here). it's warm, nutty, and ideal for any time of year if you can readily find the appropriate seasonal ingredients, but most satisfying in the fall for sure.

it can also add dimensionality to lentil soups, rice pilafs, roasted carrots, or any type of squash. some people even stir a pinch into tomato sauces or rub it onto chicken before roasting. think of it as a base layer of warmth for countless family recipes, especially where cumin and cardamom are already pretty familiar in a home.  

for simpler and easier uses, i recommend trying it on roasted potatoes tossed in olive oil, or in a salad dressing mixed with lemon, garlic, and tahini, or even fold it into laban (greek yogurt) with olive oil for a marinade that can be used for roasting meats. like the fall freekeh, it's great for spicing your rice or grain bowls, especially ones with caramelized onions or slow-cooked greens. 

with these different ways of using it, you’re giving the spice blend more room to do what it naturally does, and the options or combos become endless.  and the shatta i make adds a clean heat that's balanced, so it really can accompany anything made with the falafel spice without ruining the experience. 

the iconic sandwich broken down

there’s a reason we build our falafel sando the way we do. it’s intentional and grounded in generations of fine-tuning one of the most beloved staple street foods of the region. 

it starts with freshly baked khobz hamam, or panini bread, that houses all of the falafel sando components in perfect balance. it's fluffy on the inside, which best absorbs and retains all of the salad and sauce, and has a crispy shell that contains and holds everything together without leaks or falling apart. it's food engineering genius that has been perfected over generations of eating. you also have the option to order it in a wrap at our restaurants, but it doesn't compare to a freshly pressed and toasted falafel panini (in my humble opinion). 

next, the falafel. seasoned with our house blend, this is the foundation; the part that you don’t see, but that all the other ingredient flavors involved are built on. it's what gives falafel its character and layered experience. these freshly fried mini patties are then smashed inside the bread and toasted to peak crispiness before being paired with our tahini salad, thin lemon slices, cabbage, mint, and turnip and cucumber pickles. the additions supplement the crisp and earthiness of the falafel and panini with bright, salty, and creamy crunch that brings it all into an unfolding of flavors in each bite. 

now, we don’t have it as a part of the sando by default at the restaurants because we appreciate that not everybody is inclined to spicy food, but we always recommend adding shatta. just a spoonful so that it doesn't overwhelm all other flavors, but lifts and livens the sando as a whole with a lingering, sweet chili-kick.

it sounds like it's complex but it's not, because the combining of all these parts results in a progression of experience, rather than it all getting muddled into one undistinguishable taste. this is what makes it work so well. wrapped in wax paper and warm in the hand, i ate these sandos on the sidewalk with my friends after school, or outside our local internet cafe between gaming sessions, or during solo walks on weekend mornings before the rest of the house woke up. this is what started the making of the falafel sando at our restaurants - the tangible memory that can be relived with the right pieces coming together. in fact, new traditions, new foods, and new memories to tap into can be created with them as well.

having said that, you don’t need a deep fryer or the perfectly toasted khobz hamam (panini) to experience what this sando has to offer. you just need its soul that can be transferred into other delicious food vessels. and, like i said earlier, shatta will go really well with anything you decide to make with falafel spice. it pairs well with fried halloumi, pizza crust, or even drizzled over a baked sweet potato with labneh (arab sour cream that's better than sour cream). we’ve heard customer legends of our shatta being paired with toum, which i'll vouch for being the move honestly. you can also stir it into salad dressings or spoon it onto burgers. but i'm going to stop there and let you all get creative with it, and i look forward to you sharing your discoveries with us.