Falafel (Fried or Baked)

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (don’t use canned chickpeas)

½ cup roughly chopped onion

1 cup roughly chopped parsley, about a one large bunch
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, about a one large bunch
1 small green chile pepper, serrano or jalapeno pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cardamom

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or other flour)
½ teaspoon baking soda
oil for frying
Tahini Sauce ([recipe:Tahini Sauce])

Directions

The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in water. Make sure the water covers the chickpeas by 2 to 3 inches, as they’ll triple in size.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to your food processor, along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, cardamom and black pepper.
Pulse the food processor several times until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse sand.
Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl and add the chickpea flour and baking soda. Stir together, then cover or add a lid and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to one hour.
Use your hands, an ice cream scoop or falafel scoop to form the falafel into balls or patties. If you find the mixture is too wet, you can add another tablespoon of chickpea flour. If it’s too dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice.
Once the falafel are formed, you can cook them by your preferred method.

Deep Fry

Heat about 3 inches of oil (I use avocado oil) in a pot on medium heat to 350°F (175°C). Once the oil has reached temperature, gently drop 6 to 8 balls into the oil at a time. Let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden on the outside. Use a skimmer to the remove the falafel to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pan Fry

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan (I prefer cast iron) on medium-high heat. Gently place the falafel in the pan and cook each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Bake

Pre-heat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly spray or brush a baking sheet with oil. Place the falafel on the baking sheet, lightly spray or brush the top side with oil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. You can also bake them on parchment paper or a silicone mat without any oil. They’ll just be slightly less crispy and golden.
Serve the falafel immediately, while warm and crispy on the outside. They’re delicious served with tahini sauce as well.

Notes

Falafel are best golden on the outside, not charred. Make sure your oil doesn’t get too hot. If it does, the outside will cook too fast before the inside can warm up.

The falafel should not break apart while cooking. They’re slightly fragile, but should certainly hold together and retain their shape. If they don’t, see my tip above about adding more flour or water.

Can you meal prep falafel? Yes! Make the dough mixture and then freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the mixture in the fridge, stir it, then form in balls or patties and cook. Alternatively, you can freeze pre-shaped raw falafel and fry or bake straight from frozen!

1 cup of dried chickpeas = 3 cups of soaked chickpeas

Nutrition