Falafel - RecipeTin Eats https://www.recipetineats.

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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 Cook Time Soaking Total Time

4.99 from 93 votes
25 mins 10 mins 12 hrs 35 mins

Course: Mains, Sides Cuisine: Middle Eastern Keyword: Falafel recipe

Servings: 20 falafels Calories: 76cal Author: Nagi

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

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Falafel:
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
1. Dried chickpeas cannot be substituted with canned! Won't work - read in post. Weight
equates to just shy of 1 1/4 cups.

2. 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.

3. 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).

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. How to Serve: * Falafel wraps / rolls - Use large or small flatbreads. Smear a good dollop

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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.

7. 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.

8. Nutrition per falafel:

Nutrition Facts
Falafel

Amount Per Serving

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%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie
diet.

Nutrition
Calories: 76cal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 179mg |
Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 5.3mg | Calcium: 25mg |
Iron: 1mg

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Another great recipe by recipetineats.com

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