Falafel. These golden nuggets of goodness are one of my favorite Middle Eastern treats! While no one can quite agree where exactly in the Middle East this dish originated from, one thing is clear: they are delicious!
This recipe used to intimidate me a bit, but it turns out they’re quite easy to throw together if you have the correct ingredients and equipment. You will definitely want a Food Processor and either a Deep Fryer or Air Fryer to make them as best as possible.
My version of the classic is garlicky and filled with fresh herbs! We like to enjoy them in a wrap, sandwich, salad, or just as a snack on their own with a dipping sauce! They are made with dried chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, they go by both names so don’t be confused if you see it either way, it is the same bean! They are so delicious and versatile. One big tip that I learned the hard way (so you don’t have to) is you need to use dried, soaked chickpeas. DON’T USE CANNED GARBANZO BEANS! The canned garbanzo beans are far too soft and will give your falafel a nasty, pasty texture rather than a crunchy, preferable texture. The process of frying or air frying is what cooks the beans so no need to use cooked, they will just be too mushy if you do that.
To make this recipe, you will need to soak your dried garbanzo beans in water either overnight or first thing in the morning for dinner, at least 8 hours, you can’t over-soak your beans so doing it the night before is preferable. Drain the water from your beans and put everything into your food processor, the herbs go in stems and all! You want to pulse your food processor to mince up all of the ingredients. You will most likely need to scrape down the sides and push the herbs down to the bottom to make sure everything is evenly minced and mixed. You want the mixture to resemble minced garlic, it should be still grainy and have texture, but not too big. To portion your falafel I use an Ice Cream Scoop, you can also use a couple spoons to make even balls. Drop your falafel balls into a 350 degree deep fryer or 325 degree air fryer with a little bit of pan spray. Cook them until they are dark brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. If you flatten your falafel balls a little bit they take less time to cook. Drain on a paper towel and enjoy!
Serve with tzatziki, garlic yogurt sauce, or whatever else you like to have with Falafel normally. We like to eat them as a wrap with naan bread, shredded cabbage, red onion, tomato and garlic cilantro yogurt sauce. They are so good!! Enjoy!
The Best Falafel
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Deep Fryer
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1½ cup dried chickpeas soaked in water
- 6 clove garlic
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ bunch italian parsley
- ¾ bunch cilantro
Instructions
- Soak your chickpeas over night or for at least 8 hours in water
- Strain your chickpeas and put all ingredients into your food processor, herbs go in stems and all. Pulse the mixture, scraping down the sides as needed. You may need to push the herbs to the bottom to fully mince.
- Pulse the mixture until everything is evenly mined, it should be about the size of minced garlic, you still want texture but not too large.
- Portion your falafel by scooping with an ice cream scoop, scoop into little balls and flatten a little bit for even cooking.
- Turn on your deep fryer to 350°F or Air Fryer to 325°F
- Fry your falafel in small batches for about 3-5 minutes, until dark brown and cooked through.
- If air frying, spray with a small amount of pan spray to help get crispy.
- Enjoy in a wrap, sandwich, salad, or just as a snack on their own! Enjoy!
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