Falafels are one of the most recognized and beloved vegan snack from the Middle East. Its known to have originated in Egypt and was eaten as a hearty meal during fasting and lent. Today it has traveled all around the world has become an iconic dish of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine eaten as a sandwich filling drizzled with tahini, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onions and fried eggplant. Yum.
This vegetarian/vegan snack is simple to make, it can be fried or baked. I love both, but fried definitely tastes better. I have several falafel spinoff recipes on my blog, so do check them out as well. But today I’m sharing the authentic fried falafels. If you can’t get dried fava beans, then double the chickpeas. This recipe easily serves a family of 4. You can also freeze the mixture, see the Pro Tips for details. If you do make this recipe please leave a comment here or on Instagram, I love seeing your creations. Enjoy!
OTHER FALAFEL RECIPES TO TRY
- MY PRO TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Soaking: Always start falafels with dry chickpeas and/or fava beans, do not use canned chickpeas, its just not the same.
- Start the previous night by soaking the chickpeas and fava beans overnight, upto 18 hours. The beans will fully hydrate and double in size.
- After the beans are well hydrated make sure they are well drained and patted dry. If they are moist, there is high chance of falafels breaking in the hot oil.
- Preparing the mixture: Make sure the hydrated beans are dry. Like I said drain and pat them dry to prevent falafels breaking in the hot oil.
- If you feel the mixture is wet you can add a little besan/ chickpea flour or regular all purpose flour, if you do add flour add a little baking powder to lighten the mixture. The falafel mixture should have a grainy texture but should still hold shape. Do not blend it to a paste.
- Another good tip to keep the mixture from getting too moist: add the salt just before you form the falafels, adding salt sooner will help herbs and veggies give out water.
- Frying: To make crunchy falafels the outside need to be golden and importantly the falafels need to be fully cooked inside. To achieve the right temperature for frying, the oil should to be at 375° F, that normally translates to medium-high temperature. Best way to test in my opinion is by dropping one falafel and adjusting the frying time and temperature as needed.
- Baked Falafel: As much as I love fried falafels I usually prefer baked falafel for its convenience and the fact that it’s not fried and its lower in calories. If you prefer, bake the falafel in a 350° F oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning them once halfway through. Use a lightly oiled sheet pan, and brush of extra virgin olive oil before baking. Disclaimer they will not be as crunchy as fried, serve with tahini or Harris sauce to compensate for the flavor.
- Freezing: You can make a big batch and freeze the falafels. To make ahead and freeze, prepare the falafel mixture, divide into individual falafels. Place the falafels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. When they freeze transfer the falafel into a freezer bag. They will keep well for a month or so. Fry or bake them from frozen.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1 cup dried fava beans
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, tender stems and leaves
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, tender stems and leaves
- ½ cup fresh dill, tender stems and fronds
- 1 small bunch green onions about 4-6, white and tender fresh green parts only
- 5-6 fat garlic cloves, peeled
- 1-3 green chilies, Thai or jalapeño depending on your heat levels
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Oil for frying
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Harrisa Sauce
- Tahini Sauce
- Babaganoush
- Pita pockets
- Palestinian chopped salad
- Horiatiki salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Baby greens
- Pickled veggies
INSTRUCTIONS
- (Start there previous night before cooking) Wash and Place the dried chickpeas and fava beans in a large bowl filled with water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches.
- Soak overnight for 12-14 hours. Next day, rinse, drain the beans very well and pat them dry.
- Add both the beans, herbs, green onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Run and Pulse the food processor 30 seconds at a time until everything is well combined and has formed a dough, pushing and scraping as needed to help the blade mix well.. Make sure it’s not a paste you need some texture for a crispy falafel.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to cook. (the more the mixture rests the better the falafel)
- Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and gently mix.
- Scoop a tablespoon of the falafel mixture and form into desired shape (patty, croquette, balls). It helps to have wet hands as you form the desired shape.
- Fill a deep medium-sized pan, 2-3 inches with oil. Heat the oil to medium-high until it bubbles softly.
- Carefully drop the falafel in the oil, allowing them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or so until crispy and lightly brown on all sides. Avoid overcrowding the falafel in the pan, fry in batches if needed.
- Place the fried falafels on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Serve falafel with warm pita, tahini or Harissa sauce and a chopped salad. See serving suggestions for recipes. Enjoy!
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