Falafel
Falafels (in Arabic : فلافل / falāfil or ta’amiya)are small balls crispy on the outside and tender on the inside made from chickpeas,broad beans or a mixture of both, mixed with spices and herbs such as cumin, coriander, parsley and garlic. It’s a delicious culinary specialty of Middle Eastern origin, very popular in Lebanese, Syrian …cuisine., often served as a sandwich or main course in restaurants and street food stalls.
Falafels are often accompanied by light sauces based on Greek yoghurt, tahini or Tarator served in pita bread with vegetables, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, according to one’s preferences.
Easy homemade falafel
Easy homemade falafel recipe
Table of Contents
For some, falafel is an integral part of Middle Eastern cuisine. They are appreciated for their delicious taste and texture, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, as well as for their high nutritional value, being rich in vegetable protein and dietary fiber.
| The falafels are a Levantine culinary specialty widespread in the Middle East, consisting of fried(or baked) balls of chickpeas or beans ground and mixed with various spices. A typical dish found mainly in Lebanon ,Syria, .. . (source wikipedia) |
The falafel sandwich in Lebanese pita bread has become very trendy and fashionable in the hippest neighborhoods from New-York, Le Marais in Paris at l’As du fallafel and all over the world. They are part of the most famous Mezzés such as hummus, tatziki sauce, tabbouleh and “baba ganoush” eggplant caviar.
In Oriental cuisine, Mezzés are a kind of variety of tapas. These recipes are delicious and easy to prepare! No need to look for a Lebanese or Syrian restaurant to taste them.
Falafel is usually fried without absorbing too much oil, but it can be cooked in the oven or in an air fryer without any trouble.
Lebanese falafel and tabbouleh menu
What you’ll like about this recipe
Delicious taste: falafels have a unique, delicious flavor, with a texture that’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Seasoned with a variety of spices, including cumin, coriander, garlic and parsley, giving them a spicy, fragrant flavor.
Vegetarian and gluten-free: These are a perfect option for those following a vegetarian or gluten-free diet, as they are prepared with vegetables and legumes. They are very popular with vegans looking for alternatives to meat dishes.
Rich in nutrients: Rich in plant proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals, making them a nourishing and complete food.
Ease of preparation: Although preparation may take a little time, it’s relatively straightforward. The recipe doesn’t require you to be an expert in the kitchen, or to have any additional utensils than those everyone has in their kitchen.
Healthy, economical recipe: Preparing homemade falafel has many significant advantages. They are made with a few inexpensive, fresh ingredients. Unlike store-bought products or those you can eat in a restaurant, you can control their freshness, with no added preservatives or additives. 
Tips
Do not use cooked or canned chickpeas. Instead, use dried chickpeas, soaked for at least 12 hours beforehand. Canned chickpeas are quite soft and moist, which makes them less crisp on the outside and less tasty.
Use dried chickpeas soaked the day before (at least 12 hours) in a large volume of water to rehydrate them.
Using baking soda will make falafel lighter and more easily digestible. If you don’t have any, substitute baking powder.
Add the juice of half a lemon to activate the baking soda.
Before blending, wash, drain and dry well in a clean cloth.
Blend sufficiently, but not too much, to obtain a slightly sandy consistency. It should not be pasty.
Leave the mixture in the fridge for 1 hour before forming into balls. The herbs and spices will have time to release their aromas, and the dough will have more hold and be easier to mould. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days without worry.
Fry them in a hot oil bath over medium heat until they cook and brown slowly. Heat the oil well, then turn down the heat to fry. the oil should come up to the level of the dumplings
gently place the dumplings into the oil, one after the other, so as not to lower the oil temperature too much. and not to splash around.
NB : no need to add flour or chickpea flour UNLESS it’s too wet and you really can’t form your dumplings.
How to serve and store falafels?
You can serve them in a variety of ways: as a sandwich in pita bread with raw vegetables, in a wrap, in a salad to make a complete meal, or as an aperitif with sauces and fresh vegetables. They’re perfect for aperitifs, brunches, taking to work or picnics.
For storage, once cooked, it’s best to eat them straight away to enjoy their crispiness. However, you can keep them in an airtight tin in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. They can be eaten hot or cold, depending on your taste. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
Falafels can be stored up to 6 months raw in the freezer, shaped into balls or just the blended preparation. For the dumplings, place on a tray covered with cling film and freeze for a few hours, then put them in ziploc freezer bags. Write the date of preparation on them and leave them in the freezer.
Otherway, divide the blended mixture into freezer bags, spreading it out evenly thinly, zip up then freeze.
Cook the dumplings directly without defrosting. For the blended preparation, take it out of the freezer the day before and defrost in the fridge. Shape into balls and cook according to recipe. 
Preparation steps
| NB: Find the quantity of ingredients in the recipe card at the end of the article, which you can print. Below are the instructions, also available with visual images. |
The day before
Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 12 hours the day before. Place in a bowl and cover with 2 times their volume in water (about 1.5 l of water – 53 oz).
The next day
Rinse them with cold water and drain them in a colander Let them drain well for about ten minutes, then dry them in a clean cloth.
Wash the parsley and coriander and dry well in a salad spinner.
Mince onion and garlic. Coarsely chop parsley and coriander.
In a food processor or thermomix, blend the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, spices, baking soda, lemon juice and sesame seeds until you get a thick, grainy paste.
If you have a small food processor, halve the mixture for easier blending.
Blend in pulses at first, then continuously, stopping once or twice to scrape edges and check consistency. The texture should not be smooth but sandy, with visible small grains However, if you squeeze the mixture in your hands, it will compact and clump together.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. This will allow the aromas to diffuse and make it easier to shape into balls. At this stage, you can leave it in the fridge for 2-3 days, or freeze it in Ziploc bags for later use.
Remove the bowl from the fridge and knead the dough for a few seconds, then shape into 20 g balls (0.7 oz)(about the size of a walnut). You can use a special falafel scoop.
Moisten your hands and smooth the balls by rolling them from one palm to the other.. line up in a plate as you go.
as you like, you can flatten them slightly or leave them in a ball . At this stage, you can freeze them on a plate, then put them in a ziploc bag and freeze them for up to 6 months for later use.
Cooking
Heat the oil in a frying pan or large saucepan (if you have a thermometer, heat to 180°C – 356°F).
Dip the balls in the hot oil and turn down the heat to medium to give them time to cook inside and achieve a nice golden color. Turn them over halfway through the cooking time to evenly brown them.
Cooking fried falafel
Once golden brown, drain on paper towels.
Serve hot with pita bread, salad, tomatoes, cucumber, tahini, my yogurt sauce bellow, or tarator sauce (yogurt and tahini).
Sauce to accompany
Mix 2 Greek yogurts in a bowl and season with a tablespoon of chopped pickles, a little chopped coriander and mint, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, a little olive oil and lemon juice to taste and a little cumin, salt and pepper. If you have tahini, add a tablespoon.
Mix well, cover with a cling film and chill until ready to serve.
Baking falafels in the oven or in the air fryer
If you prefer a healthier version, you can also bake the falafels in the oven. However, even when fried, they do not absorb much oil.
Lightly flatten the balls in your oiled hands. The oil and flattened shape ensure perfect baking and gilding. Place on a baking tray covered with baking parchment. Bake at 200°C (392°F) for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
To cook in the air fryer, place the dumplings in the greased basket, spacing them apart to crisp them up nicely.
Grease the top as well. Use a special grease spray or grease them with your hands before placing them in the basket. Bake for fifteen minutes at 200°C (392°F). Turn halfway through cooking.
Easy homemade falafel recipe
Ingredients :
For the falafel dough mixture
- 400 g (14 oz )dried chickpeas (800 g -28 oz) once rehydrated
- 1 small onion or 1/2
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch fresh coriander
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Espelette pepper
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional but adds lots of flavour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (baking powder by default)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 liter oil for frying or greaseproof paper for baking
For the sauce
- 2 plain Greek yoghurts (125 g - 4.4 oz each)
- 1 teaspoon chopped pickles
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley coriander and mint (or more)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- lemon juice to taste
- 1 tablespoon tahini (if you have it)
- salt pepper and cumin ( to taste )
Instructions :
The day before
- Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 12 hours the day before.
- Place in a bowl and cover with 2 times their volume in water (about 1.5 l (53 oz) of water).
The next day
- Rinse in cold water and drain in a colander.
- Let them drain well for about ten minutes, then dry them in a clean cloth.
- Wash the parsley and coriander and dry well in a salad spinner.
- Mince onion and garlic.
- coarsely chop the parsley and coriander.
- In a food processor or thermomix, blend the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, spices, baking soda, sesame seeds and lemon juice until you obtain a thick, grainy paste.
- If you have a small food processor, have the mixture for easier blending.
- Blend in pulses at first, then continuously, stopping once or twice to scrape edges and check consistency.
- The texture should not be smooth but sandy, you can see small grains.
- However, if you squeeze the dough in your hands, it will compact and clump together.
- Pour the dough into a bowl, cover with cling film and leave it in the fridge for 1 hour.
- This allows the aromas to diffuse and makes it easier to shape into a ball.
- At this stage, you can leave it in the fridge for 2-3 days, or freeze it in ziplock bags for later use.
- Remove the bowl from the fridge and knead the dough for a few seconds, then shape into 20 g (0.7 oz) balls (about the size of a walnut).
- You can use a special falafel scoop.
- Moisten your hands and smooth the balls by rolling them from one palm to the other.
- Line them on a plate as you go.
- As you like, you can flatten them slightly or leave them in a ball . At this stage, you can freeze them on a plate, then put them in a ziploc bag and freeze them for up to 6 months.
Cooking
- Heat the oil in a frying pan or large saucepan (if you have a thermometer, set it to 180°C - 356°F).
- Dip the balls in the hot oil and turn down the heat to medium to give them time to cook inside and achieve a nice golden color.
- Turn them over halfway through the cooking time to nicely brown them.
- Once golden brown, drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot with pita bread, salad, tomatoes, cucumber, tahini, my yogurt sauce bellow or tarator sauce (yogurt and tahini).
For the sauce
- Mix 2 Greek yogurts in a bowl and season with a tablespoon of chopped pickles, a little chopped coriander and mint, chopped garlic, olive oil and lemon juice to taste and a little cumin, salt and pepper.
- If you have tahini, add a tablespoon to the mixture, wrap and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
If you prefer a healthier version (although fried falafel doesn't absorb much oil), you can also bake falafel in the oven. Lightly flatten the balls in your oiled hands.
The oil and flattened shape ensure perfect baking and gilding. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 200°C (390°F) for around 20 minutes, turning halfway through. To cook in the air fryer, place the dumplings in the greased basket, spacing them apart to crisp them up well. Grease the top as well. Use a special spray can to grease them, or grease them with your hands before placing them in the basket.
Bake for fifteen minutes at 200°C (392°F)
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1 comment
Superbe cette recette. Bravo!