Easy Authentic Falafel Recipe
Here’s a BIG shout out to the Middle East’s most renowned food… Falafel, the little fried morsels that several countries claim as their own.
It’s a popular dish among vegans and vegetarians. You’d be astonished at how simple it is to make this fried treat in your own kitchen.
Falafel are fried (or baked) balls of mashed chickpeas or fava beans spiced and seasoned with herbs and spices. You can eat them on top of a salad, in a pita, or with dipping sauces. Everything is good and simply addictive.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) – you must start with dry, do NOT substitute canned, they will not work!
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3-5 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoon flour or chickpea flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional – makes the falafel more fluffy)
- Vegetable oil for frying – avocado oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and peanut oil all work well
Instruction
- One day earlier: Place the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl and cover with 3 inches of cold water. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, which will help soften the chickpeas. Allow to soak overnight in a cold, dark room, or chill in the refrigerator. Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours, or until tender (after 12 hours, replace the soaking water with new water).
- They will double in size while they soak, giving you between 4 and 5 cups of beans.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Add the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour or chickpea flour (use chickpea flour to make gluten free), salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom to a food processor. Note: If you have a smaller food processor, divide the ingredients in half and process the mixture in batches.
- Pulse all of the ingredients until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor and press the mixture down the edges on a regular basis. Process until the mixture resembles couscous and is the consistency of a paste. You want the mixture to stay together, and a paste-like consistency will help… But don’t overwork it; you don’t want it to turn into hummus!
- When the mixture has reached the required consistency, pour it into a bowl and stir with a fork to make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks left over from the processor. Refrigerate the bowl for 1-2 hours, covered with plastic wrap.
- Fill a 12-inch skillet halfway with oil. Cooking oil with a high smoke point should be used (oil choices are included in the ingredient list). Slowly heat the oil over medium heat. The recommended temperature for frying falafel is between 360 and 375 degrees F; a deep fry or candy thermometer is the best way to monitor the temperature. After a few attempts, you’ll have a feel for when the oil temperature is “just right.”
- Meanwhile, using damp hands or a falafel scoop, shape the falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties. I use roughly 2 tbsp of the mixture per falafel. Depending on your preferences, you can make them smaller or larger. The balls will first stay together loosely, but will bind well as they begin to fry.
- If the balls do not hold together, return the ingredients to the processor and process until it becomes more paste-like. Remember that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they should bond together and stick together. If they still don’t hold together, add 2-3 tablespoons of flour or chickpea flour to the mixture. If they still won’t hold together, add 1-2 eggs to the mixture. This should resolve any troubles you are experiencing. You should fry a test falafel in the center of the pan before frying the first batch of falafel. If the oil is at the proper temperature, browning will take around 2-3 minutes per side (5-6 minutes total). If it browns quickly, your oil is too hot and your falafels will be undercooked in the center. Cool the oil slightly before attempting again.
- Fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides when the oil is at the proper temperature. When the falafels are golden brown, take them from the oil with a slotted spoon. Allow them to dry on paper towels.
- Serve the falafels hot and fresh, with a side of hummus and a dollop of creamy tahini sauce. They can also be stuffed into a pita.
