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Falafel

Recipe video above. Deep bronze and crispy on the outside, vivid green, moist and fluffy on the inside. Delicately spiced with a beautiful fresh herb flavour, these falafels are the perfect balance of flavour, texture and can't-stop-eating-them delicious! Best served fresh out of the fryer. Recipe requires 12 hrs+ soaking time.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Soaking
12 hrs
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 20 falafels
Calories: 76 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

Falafels:
  • 225 g / 8 oz dried chick peas (Note 1)
  • 1 cup parsley leaves , roughly chopped
  • 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
  • 6 scallions/shallots , white and light green part only finely chopped (Note 2)
  • 2 cloves of garlic , minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Coriander
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder (Note 3)
  • 4 tsp flour (plain/all purpose) OR chickpea flour
  • 5 tbsp water
For frying:
  • 500 ml / 2 cups+ vegetable oil (Note 4)
Tahini Sauce (Other Sauces Note 5):
  • 4 tbsp Tahini
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Serving (Note 6):
  • Pita bread or other flatbreads
  • Tabbouleh (recipe below)
  • hummus (optional extra)
  • Shredded lettuce, tomato slices, sliced red or white onion

Instructions

Falafel:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place chickpeas in a large bowl and pour over plenty of cold water. Leave to soak 12 + hours (even 2 days is fine).
  2. Drain chickpeas well. Place in food processor, add remaining Falafel ingredients.
  3. Blitz for 2 to 3 minutes on high, scraping down sides as necessary, until the chickpeas are very small grains. Mixture should look like smooth guacamole from the outside (see video).
  4. Scoop up heaped tablespoons and shape into balls (or dome, disc or torpedo), place on a tray. Should make around 20, about 2.5cm / 1" wide.
  5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. Pour oil in a skillet or large pot - at least 1.7 cm / 2/3" depth (Note 4). Heat on medium high to 180 - 190C / 355F (or drop a bit in, should sizzle energetically).
  7. Place a ball in a large spoon (or tongs) and slide ball in. Cook in batches for around 4 minutes, using 2 forks to roll, until deep golden and super crusty on the outside.
  8. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining falafel.
  9. Serve fresh out of the fryer with Sauce of choice! Make falafel wraps or plates with tabbouleh, tomato, onion, and Sauces of choice. See Notes 5 and 6.
Tahini Sauce:
  1. Combine tahini and lemon juice, and mix well. The mixture will stiffen.
  2. Stir in the water 1 tbsp at a time and it will loosen again. The final consistency should be like a thick drizzle sauce (see video). Season to taste with salt.

Notes

  • Dried chickpeas cannot be substituted with canned! Won't work - read in post. Weight equates to just shy of 1 1/4 cups.
  • Shallots (green onions / scallions) - use only the white and light green part (oniony flavour), not the dark green part. You need about 3/4 cup - don't need to be exact here.
  • Baking powder - not all recipes use this. We did a side by side taste test of a batch with and without. Hands down, baking powder is better - fluffier and more moist inside, without baking powder it's more dense and a bit dough-like. Trade secret we picked up from a great falafel store in Sydney (Hijazi’s Falafel in Earlwood).
  • Oil quantity - You don't need to fully deep fry, as I do in the video. You can just use 2 cups / 500 ml oil, just turn them a few times. Also, if you shape the falafel in disc form (as some shops do) then you can use even less, maybe even 1 cup / 250ml oil.
  • Sauce: Some form of sauce is a must with falafel. Traditionally served with Tahini Sauce, but other options include: plain yogurt, Yoghurt Lemon Sauce (yogurt + lemon + garlic + salt + olive oil), a thin hummus (thin it using water), chili / hot sauce. The sauce should be thin enough so it adds wetness when you eat it - eg you don't want a thick hummus.
  • How to Serve: * Falafel wraps / rolls - Use large or small flatbreads. Smear a good dollop of hummus or yoghurt (or Yoghurt Lemon Sauce, below) down the middle. Top with tabbouleh and/or lettuce, tomato, onion and falafels broken in half. Drizzle with Tahini Sauce or other sauce of choice (I love adding hot sauce). Either roll or fold and devour!* Falafel plates - with tabbouleh and/or shredded iceberg lettuce with tomato slices, onion (red or white), Tahini Sauce with optional hummus with pita breads on the side. I love hot sauce too! A spiced pilaf like Mejadra (Middle Eastern Lentil Rice) is a terrific addition as well (and GF option).
  • Tabbouleh: 2 tbsp Bulgur soaked in 3 tbsp boiling water then fluffed. 2 cups roughly chopped parsley, 1/2 cup roughly chopped mint, 1/2 red onion finely chopped, 2 large red tomatoes, deseeded & chopped. Dress with lemon juice  and sprinkle of salt - adjust to taste depending on what you're serving it with. For falafel, I use very little salt and lots of lemon juice.
  • Serving size: 2 - 3 halved falafels in pita pockets, 3 - 4 halved for a large roll, 4 to 5 for a plate.
  • Reheating: Falafel is one of those foods that's truly best served fresh out of the fryer. But the best way to store / reheat cooked falafel is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (really!). Microwave to reheat (really!) THEN spray with plenty of oil and bake at 200C/390F for 5 minutes just until the surface is crispy again.
  • Make Ahead: Balls can be rolled then kept uncooked in the fridge for 24 hours OR frozen. If frozen, fry from frozen - just add another 1 or 2 minutes to the frying time.
  • Nutrition per falafel:
  • Nutrition Facts Falafel Amount Per Serving Calories 76 Calories from Fat 36 % Daily Value* Fat 4g6%Saturated Fat 3g19%Sodium 179mg8%Potassium 139mg4%Carbohydrates 7g2%Fiber 2g8%Sugar 1g1%Protein 2g4% Vitamin A 295IU6%Vitamin C 5.3mg6%Calcium 25mg3%Iron 1mg6% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
  • Calories 76
  • Calories from Fat 36
  • % Daily Value*
  • Fat 4g
  • 6%
  • Saturated Fat 3g
  • 19%
  • Sodium 179mg
  • 8%
  • Potassium 139mg
  • 4%
  • Carbohydrates 7g
  • 2%
  • Fiber 2g
  • 8%
  • Sugar 1g
  • 1%
  • Protein 2g
  • 4%
  • Vitamin A 295IU
  • 6%
  • Vitamin C 5.3mg
  • 6%
  • Calcium 25mg
  • 3%
  • Iron 1mg
  • 6%