Falafel
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Refrigeration time: 1 to 2 hours
- Frying time: 5 to 6 minutes
Ingredients
For Single recipe
(Makes about 9 falafel)
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans):
Onion, Parsley, and Garlic:
- ½ small onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic
Flour and Spices:
- 1¾ teaspoons flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
Oil For Frying:
- Oil for frying (grapeseed, safflower, and peanut oil work well)
Sauce:
Ingredients
For Double recipe
(Makes about 18 falafel)
Dried Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans):
Onion, Parsley, and Garlic:
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 3-5 cloves garlic
Flour and Spices:
- 1½ tablespoons flour
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
Oil For Frying:
- Oil for frying (grapeseed, safflower, and peanut oil work well)
Sauce:
Instructions
-
Pour cooked and drained chickpeas into a food processor.
- Add onion, parsley, garlic, flour, and spices.
- Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms, scraping the sides of the processor periodically.
- Process until the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste.
- The mixture is ready when it holds together in a paste-like consistency. Do not overprocess.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Fill a skillet with a vegetable oil that can withstand high heat to a depth of 1½-inches.
- Heat the oil slowly over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, using wet hands, form 2 tabelspoons falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties.
- The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry.
- If the falafel balls won't hold together, place the mixture back in the processor and process until the mixture is paste-like in texture.
- Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they will bind together and stick.
- Test the consistency of the falafel balls by frying 1 in the center of the pan.
- If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2 to 3 minutes per side to brown; 5 to 6 minutes total.
- If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again.
- Fry the falafels in batches of 5 to 6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.
- Remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Serve the falafels fresh and hot.
Comments
Serve with tahini sauce.Falafel made from dried chickpeas that have been cooked either on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot is much tastier than when using canned garbanzo beans.