Falafel Recipe

About Falafel

Falafel is a widely popular Mediterranean & Middle Eastern snack. It is a deep-fried, vegetarian fast food made with chickpeas (chana) or fava beans, onion, garlic, spices, and a lot of fresh herbs. Today, the humble falafel has become one of the most popular fulfilling vegan snacks for adding to salad bowls, sandwiches, or Mezze platter. There are many versions of a falafel recipe. I am sharing a simple and basic chickpea falafel recipe that requires a few pantry staples. Reasons To LOVE Falafel

possible gluten-free vegan and vegetarian easy to bake or air-fry fulfilling and wholesome meal-prep and freezer-friendly

Ingredients Required

You will be surprised to know that a few basic ingredients are required to make falafel from scratch at home.

Chickpeas: Dried chickpeas (white chana) are the key ingredient for making falafel. DO NOT use canned or pre-cooked chickpeas. Onion: Yellow onion, white or red onion; feel free to add either of these. Garlic: Fresh garlic pods give flavour to the falafel. Adjust quantity as per taste preference. Fresh Herbs: From cilantro, parsley, coriander, spring onion, to dill, feel free to add either of these or a combination of herbs to the falafel mixture. Seasoning & Spices: Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Green Chilli, Red Chili Powder, and Salt are the main ingredients for seasoning falafel. Sesame Seeds: An authentic falafel recipe is incomplete without white sesame seeds. Baking Powder: It gives a fluffy texture to the falafel and makes them easy to bake. Flour: Either use gluten-free chickpea flour (besan) or all-purpose flour to bind the falafel. Oil: For frying falafel, use flavourless vegetable oil.

How To Cook Falafel – 3 Method

Frying: This is a pan-fried falafel recipe. But you can shape falafel into round balls and deep-fry as well. Make sure to fry the falafel in small batches in hot oil till crisp and golden. Baking: Grease a baking sheet with oil. Arrange falafel in the sheet. Spray/brush them with cooking oil. Bake falafel at 190 degrees Celsius for 15 – 20 minutes on each side. Baked falafel is less crispy, soft, and pale brown. But the taste is the same as fried ones. Air-Fry: You can air-fry falafel at 190 degrees Celcius for 20 – 25 minutes till crisp and golden. Don’t forget to turn them halfway through cooking time. Lately, I have started using my Instant Pot Crispy Lid for cooking falafel. The result is crisp but slightly dry falafel. The colour of the falafel is also pale brown. Set Crispy Lid at 180 degrees Celcius. Cook each side for 15 minutes.

My Tried & True Tips

Soaking Chickpeas: The essential step of this falafel recipe is soaking the dried chickpeas in water for 5 – 6 hours. DO NOT use cooked, boiled, or canned chickpeas for making falafel. It does not work. Keep in Fridge: To avoid soggy or oil-soaked falafel, keep the falafel mixture for 10 – 15 minutes in the refrigerator to chill. Trust me; this trick will always give you the best crispy falafel. Binding Agent: I firmly believe the falafel mixture needs one binding agent in all-purpose flour or chickpea flour. Otherwise, it is difficult to make them crisp and crunchy. Frying: Ensure the oil is preheated to the right temperature before frying the falafel. Either use a thermometer to check the oil temperature or drop a tiny ball of falafel mixture in hot oil and check.
Falafel will turn out oil-soaked if the oil is cold or not heated to the right temperature. Or, if the oil is too hot, the falafel will burn from the outside and uncooked from the inside. While frying, do not flip the falafel again and again. Once crisp and golden from one side, flip to the other side.

Watch Falafel Video

Serving Suggestion

Mezze Platter: The best way to serve falafel is with other Meditteranean finger food on an appetizer platter. Dips: Falafel is commonly served as a snack with dips like hummus, baba ganoush, avocado hummus, beetroot hummus, tzatziki, tahini sauce, or muhammara. Pita Bread: To make a wholesome meal from falafel, serve them on top of the flatbread with roasted veggies or tucked inside fluffy pita bread as a sandwich. Salad Bowl: To make a fattoush salad more fulfilling and delicious, add baked falafel.

Storage Suggestion

Meal-Prep: You can make a falafel mixture in advance and store it in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days. Bake or fry the falafel before serving. You can shape the falafel and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to cook. It is best to consume cooked falafel within 2 – 3 hours, or it will become soggy. I would not recommend storing them.