Falafel

Falafel : Hearty and flavourful, packed with plant-power and protein. Biting into a crisp, freshly homemade falafel can be truly joyful.

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern street food served hot on its own or in a sandwich with a generous helping of fresh green, tahini base sauce and hot sauce. A mezze spread does not seem complete without falafels.

Falafel were originally made with fava beans, which are greener and spicier than the classic Falafel and continues to be made this way in Egypt and other countries near by, but Israeli falafel is almost universally made from chickpeas and is more common today. It is a very popular vegetarian/vegan dish across the world.

In this recipe I have used a lot of fresh herbs such as coriander and parsley, which add a bit of moisture, freshness, vibrant colour and help to counter the natural dryness of the chickpeas and make the centre light, tender and extra flavourful thanks to the green herbs and garlic. Once you make a batch of these you will never be able to eat the dry, store bought version again.

Falafels are incredibly easy to make and after soaking the chickpeas overnight, the preparation time is so minimal that you can make them in less then 30 minutes. You will need to soak dried chickpeas overnight for your falafel to turn out right. We uses classic Middle Eastern spices such as cumin, ground coriander and cayenne pepper which give it the earthiness and flavours to the falafels. I have not added any type of flour to the mix so its gluten-free. They can be baked or fried, however I strongly recommend frying, as it gives the crunchy exterior to the falafel which is one of the defining elements. When eating in a pita or wrapped in a flatbread this crunch is important as it compliments the greens and the sauces perfectly.

It is a perfect item for a snack, picnic or barbecue and is vital in tying together any Lebanese meal with its subtle, fresh and delicious flavour. It is best accompanied by flatbreads, fattoush, hummus, tahini sauce, pickles and hot sauce of your choice.

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Helpful Tips and Tricks for Making Falafel:

• Always use dry chickpeas as they will give the best texture and flavour to the falafels. Soaked and grounded chickpeas are naturally high in starch and that will help bind them well without using much flour.
• Always chill the falafel mix as it helps in shaping them and brings out the best of the flavours.
• To get the best crispiness in the falafel it has to be deep fried. The cooking oil should be hot and gently bubbling, but not extremely hot as that will not allow the falafels to cook evenly from inside.
• For baked falafel: Preheat the oven at 175ºC and pour 1/4 cup of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the falafel patties lightly with olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning them halfway through. 
• You can coat the falafels in sesame seeds to gets extra crunchiness.

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Falafel

Serves: 25 Falafel Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

• 300 grams dried chickpeas
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, stem removed
• 1 cup fresh coriander, stem removed
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
• Oil for frying

method

1. Put the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl and fill with water approximately 3"above the chickpeas. Soak overnight or a bit longer if they are still hard, they should have doubled in size.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then gently pat dry. 
3. Put the chickpeas, parsley, coriander, onion, garlic and spices in a food processor. Pulse all the ingredients together until you get a rough, coarse mix, similar to couscous. You want the mix to hold and not turn mushy. Remove any chickpea chunks if they aren't processed. 
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least an hour, you can keep it overnight, until ready to cook. 
5. Add the baking powder to the mix before frying and mix until well incorporated. Form the mix into patties which have  a thickness of toughly 1/2". 
6. Heat oil on a medium-high heat until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties a few at a time in the oil and let them fry until they are crispy and medium brown on the outside.
7. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. 
8. Serve them hot with tahini sauce or assemble them in a pita bread with hummus, greens and hot sauce. 

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