Fantastic Falafel Recipe

They are an all-time classic, and that is for a good reason: Beautiful, delicious, homemade falafel. These nutritious little things make sure to satisfy! Crispy on the outside, light and airy inside: Don’t forget lots of herbs and a delicious combination of spices, and you have a perfect falafel. Learn how to make your own in this simple falafel recipe!

What is Falafel:

Falafel are a Levantine kind of fritter made of legumes. Most commonly, they are made with chickpeas, but variations made with fava beans are around as well. It is a traditional food in the middle east, where falafel is enjoyed with a long tradition. In recent decades, falafel has become more known internationally. For example, in many cities in Germany, you will easily find lots of delicious falafel. Since growing up, I’ve eaten falafel here at least once a week. Aside from the chickpeas, herbs make a fantastic addition to falafel. My rule of thumb: If you think you’ve added enough herbs, double down!

Ingredients for this Delicious Falafel Recipe:

• Dried chickpeas
• Fresh parsley
• Mint
• Lemon
• Onion
• Garlic
• Salt
• Flour or chickpea flour
• Baking Powder
• Optional: cilantro

Optional Spices:

• Chilli flakes
• Ground cardamom
• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander seeds

When making falafel, it is important to use dried chickpeas. Otherwise, the falafels will lose their shape while frying.

Even though it seems like a ton of herbs, you will want to go heavy with parsley! Mint and cilantro make fantastic additions as well. As you know, I like to go big with flavour: Spices like cardamom, cumin, and coriander seeds bring the taste of the falafel to the next level. You can, of course, vary the spices to your liking. Baking powder makes sure that our falafel gets all nice and fluffy!

Are Falafel Healthy:

I wouldn’t want to miss falafel as part of my diet. They combine lots of healthy ingredients into nutritional balls filled with flavour! Chickpeas give them a good amount of quality plant protein. Also, the herbs and spices make a healthy addition to this tasty snack. Even though these falafel are fried, I don’t feel bad about snacking them! If the frying oil is hot enough, the outside will crisp up nicely, and the falafel won’t soak the oil too much. But if you want to be sure to keep the calories on the low side, you can try baking of pan-frying them as well.

How to make Falafel:

Soaking the Chickpeas:

Firstly, you need to factor some time in for this one. While the cooking process is quite quick and easy, we want to prepare well ahead for this one. For this recipe, you will want to use dried chickpeas, which need to soak at least 8-12 hours in advance. I’d recommend soaking them overnight a day before you intend to make your delicious falafel. Make sure to use a bowl big enough, as they will almost triple in size.

Preparing the other Ingredients:

When your chickpeas are soaked, you can prepare the other ingredients. Give your herbs a good wash, and separate the leaves from the stems. Also, peel an onion and garlic cloves. Add these ingredients with lemon juice, flour of your choice (use chickpea flour to make the recipe gluten-free), and the seasonings to a food processor.

Combine the ingredients using a pulse. You don’t want it to be fully blended, but some consistency of the ingredients to remain. Cover the falafel mix, and chill in your fridge for another 1-2 hours. Chilling will help your falafel keep their shape.

When getting ready to fry the falafel, add baking soda to the mix. Mix well to incorporate, and form the falafel into uniform balls. You can adjust the size to your liking. I usually go for approximately 4-5 centimetres in diameter.

I’m a fry guy when making falafel. If you want to pan-fry the falafel instead, heat some temperature-resistant oil in your pan to medium heat. Be careful not to damage the falafel when moving them around so they develop an even crust.

You can also try baking them out. In this care, preheat your oven to 200° Celsius (400° Fahrenheit). Give the falafel a light brush with vegetable oil before baking them until nice and crispy.

Frying the Falafel

If deep-frying, add temperature-resistant frying oil to a pot and heat to medium-high. You can check the temperature by lowering a toothpick into the oil. If tiny bubbles form around the wood, we are good to go. Add the falafel and fry them until a crispy crust forms. Frying should take 3-5 minutes per batch. By this time, the falafel should be nicely cooked and fluffy inside!

Take the falafel out of the pot, and allow any excess oil to drip off. You can let them rest on a paper towel as well. Now, they are ready to enjoy. Only one question left: Which delicious way of serving them will you pick?

How to Serve Falafel:

I have three favourite ways of serving falafel: As a simple snack, serving them as part of a larger meze, or enjoying them in a pita or falafel wrap. Traditionally, they are often served with some delicious tahini. Alternatively, a simple tahini yogurt dip could make a nice choice.

If you want to make it more of a full meal, falafel wraps are a delicious option. They combine so many great textures and flavours, and your delicious falafel are the heart of the dish! They are usually my go-to!

Also, when making a meze, falafel just can’t miss. Having the falafel with a choice of other middle-eastern dishes such as hummus, baba ganoush, or fattoush will be a satisfying experience of various delicious flavours!

Today, I’ll go with a traditional combination: Dressing the falafel generously with tahini. Additionally, some finely chopped parsley and toasted sesame seeds make beautiful garnishes.

I hope you enjoyed this falafel recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments!

Some more Recipe Inspirations:

• Delicious homemade hummus goes super well with falafel:
• Harak Osbao is such a comfort food.
• Homemade za’atar is a fantastic addition to the spice shelf.
• Ever tried muhammara? It’s one of my favourite dips.
• I go crazy for manakish!
• Hummus fatteh is a great breakfast!
• Looking for another snack? These tahini stuffed dates are addictive.
• Ful medames is a delicious classic as well!
• If you like hummus, give musabaha a look!

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