Fried or baked, falafel is made from ground chickpeas and can be a delicious part of your dinner or a filling snack. Read below all the secrets for perfect falafel every time.
What is falafel? Falafel is a popular Middle-Eastern food made from ground chickpeas and herbs. The chickpea mixture is formed into small balls which are fried in oil. Then it's usually served with pita bread and tahini sauce or some hummus. Homemade falafel made from scratch are easier than you think, and the best thing is that you can customize the recipe to your liking by adding cilantro instead of parsley, less or more garlic, or the herbs and spices you prefer.
They're also vegan and gluten-free (not all recipes are gluten-free though) so they're the perfect snack to feed a lot of people with different dietary needs and habits. Traditionally, falafel are fried but you can also bake them in the oven if you don't like to use your frying pan (instructions for baking them are at the end of this post, but you can also watch this video for how to bake falafel from downshiftology).
Friendly reminder: when you soak the chickpeas you may want to add a few more just to make a batch of this delicious homemade hummus.
Falafel ingredients:
The basic ingredients if you want to make falafel are:
- dried chickpeas (you will need to soak them)
- baking soda (to treat the chickpeas)
- green onions (if you can't find them, half a regular onion will also do)
- parsley or cilantro (whichever you prefer or both)
- garlic
- cumin
- salt
- vegetable oil (for frying or to spray for baking)
There are some more ingredients I like to add to my falafel, but they're optional, meaning that the falafel will turn out okay even if you don't use these:
- freshly ground black pepper
- paprika
- ground cardamom
- sesame seeds
Is falafel gluten-free?
Some recipes call for flour as a binding agent, because a usual problem with falafel is that they can fall apart during cooking. This recipe does not require flour so it is naturally gluten free, and your falafel will stay intact as long as you follow the simple instructions below.
However, if you have any problems with your falafel breaking during cooking, or if you notice that your falafel mixture has more moisture than you like, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour or chickpea flour (chickpea flour will keep the recipe gluten free). Don't add more flour since it can change the texture.
How do you make falafel from scratch?
- Soak the chickpeas overnight
- process all the falafel ingredients in a food processor
- form small balls
- fry or bake in the oven
Are you wondering why your falafel fall apart and how to keep them from breaking?
You will notice that the falafel mixture is not very coherent, so you will need to press it firmly between your hands to form small balls. A common problem with these chickpea balls is that they can break during cooking. The possible reasons when that happens are:
- The chickpeas were not treated with baking soda
- The falafel mixture was not processed enough
- You added way too many greens (parsley or green onions)
- You didn't let the mixture rest before cooking
- You made the falafel too big
- You moved them too much during cooking.
To protect your falafel from breaking during cooking make sure you follow all the secrets mentioned below!
Falafel Secrets
- Use dried chickpeas. Falafel cannot be made with canned chickpeas. The texture, flavor and everything else will be wrong.
- Soak the chickpeas in water for at least 12 hours.
- Use baking soda during soaking because it tenderizes the chickpeas and helps them cook better and faster. For extra efficiency, you can treat them twice with baking soda: drain the soaked chickpeas and mix them with another tablespoon of baking soda. Let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes, rinse well and drain again.
- Process the falafel mixture in the food processor until it becomes very fine. A coarse mixture will not hold very well during cooking.
- Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes. Why? Because the mixture gets hydrated evenly and the starch from the chickpeas develops better helping the falafel hold their shape.
- Make them small. Large falafel will almost certainly fall apart (or in the best will develop cracks) during cooking. They will also not be cooked all the way to the center. Use a measuring tablespoon to form small balls of the same size.
- Don't crowd the frying pan and don't move them around during cooking. Just let them cook from one side and develop the external crust that will help them hold their shape. Then carefully, using two forks or a fork and a spatula flip them to cook from the other side.
What do you serve with falafel?
- Homemade ummus
- pita bread and tahini sauce
- A green salad of your choice
- Labneh or greek yogurt with olive oil
- this cucumber salad
- tomatoes with olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
- Fresh bread
- toasted bread with sliced avocado
My basic, 4-ingredient tahini sauce for falafel
You can easily bring this basic tahini sauce to your liking by adjusting the quantity of the lemon juice. Just keep tasting and adding lemon juice until you feel it's right. You can also add a clove of minced garlic and the spices of your choice. Black pepper, cumin, cardamom, sumac are usually my go tos.
In a bowl mix:
- ¼ of a cup tahini
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cold water.
The mixture will seize and thicken at first. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of water until it becomes smooth again. Taste and adjust the salt and the lemon juice. If you want it more runny you can add an extra splash of water.
Another easy recipe is this lemon and tahini sauce
Baking Instructions For Falafel
Fried falafel are a little bit better than baked. And because they don't need too much time to cook, they don't absorb a lot of oil during frying. But baking them have its perks, since it feels easier for many people and you can bake more falafel at the same time. For baked falafel:
- Preheat your fan oven to 375 °F (190 °C) and place a rack in the middle position.
- Brush a baking pan generously with olive oil or another vegetable oil.
- Scoop out 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into small patties. The patties are baked better than the balls.
- Place each falafel on the baking pan and very gently brush the tops with some oil.
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, carefully flipping them halfway through baking, until the falafel are golden brown on both sides.
Recipe
Falafel recipe (all the secrets)
Ingredients
For the chickpeas:
- 1 cup (200 grams) dried chickpeas
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
For the falafel mixture:
- 2 green onions, chopped (about 50-60 grams) – the white and some of the green part
- 1 cup (1 small bunch) parsley or cilantro, chopped (50 grams)
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
For frying:
- Vegetable oil for frying (it should be about 1 inch / 2.5 cm deep)
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas: From the previous day, place the chickpeas, the water and 1 tablespoon of the baking soda in a large bowl. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved and let the chickpeas soak for 12 hour or more.
- The next day drain well and mix them with the second tablespoon of baking soda. Let them sit for 20-30 minutes (prepare the rest of the ingredients during this time) rinse well and drain.
- Make the falafel mixture: Transfer the chickpeas, the onions, the parsley, the garlic, the cumin, the salt, the black pepper, the ¼ teaspoon baking soda, the paprika and the sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground (you can do it in batches if your food processor is small). You may have to stop and scrape the bowl 1-2 times.
- Rest: Transfer the mixture to a bowl and store in the fridge for 30 minutes (this will help the mixture to become more coherent).
- Form the falafel: Scoop tablespoons of the mixture and press them between your hands to form small balls (don't make them too large because they may break during cooking).
- Fry: Transfer the oil to a frying pan and heat over medium high heat (about 360°F / 180°C). Fry for 3-4 minutes each side or until browned. Remove with a slotted spatula and place over kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Preheat your fan oven to 375 °F (190 °C) and place a rack in the middle position.
- Brush a baking pan generously with olive oil or another vegetable oil.
- Scoop out 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into small patties (patties are baked better than balls). Place on the baking pan and very gently brush the tops with some extra oil.
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, carefully flipping them halfway through baking, until the falafel are golden brown on both sides.
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Efi
We really liked this recipe, and the tahini sauce was very easy!
Makos
Thank you!