Easy homemade falafel recipe
If you like falafel (Ta'amiya), the crispy small balls made from chickpeas, spices and fresh herbs in Lebanese cuisine, this authentic falafel recipe is perfect.
Enjoy in a salad or as a sandwich on pita bread.
Serving: 48
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
Baking falafels in the oven or air fryer
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)
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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