Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of Egyptian origin, featuring in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly Levantine cuisines, and is made from broad beans, ground chickpeas, or both.
Falafel balls
Falafel sandwich in pita
Despite the frying process, the inside of a falafel remains soft.
Falafel being fried in a scoop, Ramallah
Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow oil used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Normally, a deep fryer or chip pan is used for this; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used. Deep frying may also be performed using oil that is heated in a pot. Deep frying is classified as a hot-fat cooking method. Typically, deep frying foods cook quickly since oil has a high rate of heat conduction and all sides of the food are cooked simultaneously.
A chef cooking traditional British fish and chips in a deep fryer
Peixinhos da horta, the Portuguese ancestor of Japanese tempura
Smultring being deep-fried
A deep fryer with slotted spoon, for removing foods from the hot oil