Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, blended with herbs, spices, and onion. The mixture is shaped into small balls or patties and then deep-fried until golden and crispy. Falafel is known for its crunchy exterior and tender, flavorful interior, often served in pita bread with fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce, along with tahini sauce or hummus. It can also be enjoyed as a protein-rich appetizer or salad topping. Falafel’s savory, herbaceous taste and satisfying texture make it a favorite street food and vegetarian option worldwide, appreciated for its delicious simplicity and versatility.
Falafel
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (don't use canned chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
- 1 cup roughly chopped parsley, about a one large bunch
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, about a one large bunch
- 1 small green chile pepper, serrano or jalapeno pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour (or other flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- oil for frying
Instructions
- The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in water. Make sure the water covers the chickpeas by 2 to 3 inches, as they'll triple in size.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to your food processor, along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, cardamom and black pepper.
- Pulse the food processor several times until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse sand.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl and add the chickpea flour and baking soda. Stir together, then cover or add a lid and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to one hour.
- Use your hands, an ice cream scoop or falafel scoop to form the falafel into balls or patties. If you find the mixture is too wet, you can add another tablespoon of chickpea flour. If it's too dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice.
- Once the falafel are formed, you can cook them by your preferred method mentioned above. To deep fry the falafel, add about 3 inches of oil to a pot on medium heat. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Cook the falafel in batches (about 6 to 8 at a time) for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.
- Use a skimmer to check the color of the falafel and make sure they don't over cook. Then remove them to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve the falafel immediately, while warm and crispy on the outside. They're delicious served with tahini sauce as well.
Notes
- Falafel are best golden on the outside, not charred. Make sure your oil doesn’t get too hot. If it does, the outside will cook too fast before the inside can warm up.
- The falafel should not break apart while cooking. They’re slightly fragile, but should certainly hold together and retain their shape. If they don’t, see my tip above about adding more flour or water.
- 1 cup of dried chickpeas = 3 cups of soaked chickpeas
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