FALAFEL, also called felafel, are a typical dish of Arabic culinary tradition suitable to be served as an appetizer, side dish, or finger food.
They are a kind of legume-based patties, super flavorful, easy and quick to prepare, made with soaked dried chickpeas, onion, garlic, cumin and parsley.
Once the mixture is prepared, form slightly flattened balls that are then fried in vegetable oil to obtain the typical golden, crispy crust that surrounds a soft and aromatic center.
A dish loved worldwide, great on their own but usually served with various sauces: yogurt-based ones like Tzatziki, chickpea-based like hummus, or simply with a tahini-based sauce.
Making falafel at home is not impossible and, if you follow me, I will show you all the steps and tricks to achieve a perfect result both in terms of taste and texture.
As with any traditional recipe there are several versions; the one I propose is the recipe I “stole” during a vacation, perfected over time.
It’s a very easy preparation provided you follow a few precautions: first, use soaked dried chickpeas, not pre-cooked or canned ones; second, the chickpeas must be pulsed; another fundamental step is the resting time in the refrigerator because the mixture needs to dry and absorb flavor, and finally the temperature of the frying oil.
They can also be baked, which will be much lighter but drier than fried ones: in this case you should place them on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil and bake them at 356°F for about 20/25 minutes.
To best enjoy the falafel I recommend accompanying them with a yogurt sauce like Tzatziki which pairs well with the spiced flavor of these tasty chickpea patties; some even dip them in mayonnaise or ketchup…
Since they are made entirely from plant-based ingredients, falafel are also a vegan dish.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: about 40 falafel
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Energy 1,236.82 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 28.44 (g) of which sugars 2.38 (g)
- Proteins 12.42 (g)
- Fat 120.45 (g) of which saturated 20.23 (g)of which unsaturated 94.43 (g)
- Fibers 8.16 (g)
- Sodium 95.55 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 70 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE CHICKPEA FALAFEL RECIPE
- 2 1/2 cups dried chickpeas
- onion (1 medium)
- 1 clove garlic
- parsley (1 bunch)
- ground cumin (a pinch)
- to taste salt
- black pepper (a pinch, freshly ground)
- peanut oil (for frying)
Tools
- Food processor
- Frying pan
HOW TO PREPARE CHICKPEA FALAFEL
Before preparing the FALAFEL you should soak the dried chickpeas in cold water for at least 12 hours. After the time has passed, drain and rinse them, then dry them thoroughly: they must be perfectly dry so as not to compromise the final result. Alternatively, to speed up the process you can use canned ones, draining them.
Put the drained chickpeas in a food processor together with the crushed garlic and the onion cut into large pieces, add salt, pepper and cumin and pulse everything. At this point add the parsley, which you will have chopped separately (do not put it directly in the processor with the chickpeas as it would release too much liquid). Pulse to combine everything
Transfer the mixture to a tray and compact it with the back of a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour. After the resting time, take the mixture and form slightly flattened balls with the palms of your hands, then place them on a plate; continue until the mixture is used up.
Put oil in a pan or a small pot and heat it to a temperature of 338°F. Start frying a few falafel at a time and remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they are nicely golden. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels and serve them hot accompanied by various sauces.
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STORAGE
Once ready, falafel should be eaten immediately.
If any are left over you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container, although like any fried food they will lose their crispiness.
VARIATIONS
CHICKPEAS: The original falafel recipe calls for only soaked dried chickpeas. You can also use precooked canned ones but they are very moist and the flavor is slightly different because of the preserving liquid. In that case, be sure to dry them completely by patting them with a kitchen towel.
PARSLEY: In the traditional recipe coriander is used instead of parsley, which has a stronger flavor. If desired, you can flavor the mixture by adding other spices to taste, such as turmeric and chili pepper, for example!
ONION: To mellow the taste of the onion, cut it and let it soak in water for about half an hour before using.
FALAFEL MIX CONSISTENCY: You need to judge the consistency of the mixture by eye: if too wet you’ll have obvious problems, if too dry the chickpeas will not hold together. The consistency is also determined by soaking times: the longer the chickpeas stay in the water the more soaked they will be.
HISTORY AND ORIGINS OF FALAFEL: the most famous veg patty in the world!
FALAFEL are probably the most famous veg patty in the world, loved not only by vegans but by omnivores too! The origin of falafel likely begins in Egypt as does the name. In the Coptic language the word “pha” – “phel” means “many beans”, and indeed the dish is still widely consumed by Copts on religious holidays.
The oldest version probably contained ground fava beans, pressed into balls or discs, and fried. Chickpeas replaced them as the recipe spread through Levantine cuisine, becoming part of the gastronomic tradition in Palestine and Israel. Often sold as street food, they are normally used to fill pitas together with hummus, tahini, yogurt, tomato, grilled eggplant.
