These homemade falafel are crispy with a soft and fluffy herbed centre. They are an utterly delicious snack when served warm and drizzled with tahini sauce. Or stuff them into warmed pita bread pockets with fresh chopped salad for a satisfying lunch.
Servings24 falafel balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water*
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup roughly chopped herbs, a mix of parsley, cilantro and mint
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, Aleppo pepper, or freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- oil for frying
Instructions
Strain soaked chickpeas
- Place the soaked chickpeas in a colander or fine mesh strainer – shaking off any excess water. Leave them to dry while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
Make falafel mixture
- Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz for 15 seconds and scrape down the sides.
- Add the chopped herbs, onion and garlic. Blitz for another 30 seconds or so, scraping down the sides as necessary. The coarse falafel mixture should be well combined and damp. It should hold together when shaped.
- Transfer the falafel mix to a large bowl or airtight container and add the chilli flakes, cumin, coriander and 1½ teaspoon of salt. Mix it well. Then, sprinkle over the baking soda and give it a final mix. Cover the falafel mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Shape falafel
- Keep a small bowl with water nearby to wet your hands as you shape the falafel. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of falafel paste – about 25 grams – into your palm and roll it into a ball.
- Arrange the falafel balls on a parchment-lined baking tray and continue rolling the remaining mixture – you should have 22 to 24 falafel balls.
- Sprinkle the falafel balls with sesame seeds, if using, and gently press them in.
Cook falafel
- When ready to serve, fill a deep, heavy-based medium saucepan with enough oil to rise about 2½ inches (7 cm) up the side. And place the pan on medium heat to bring the oil to 350 °F.
- Gently lower the falafel into the oil in batches – I do 6 to 8 falafel per batch. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. If they brown too quickly, the oil is too hot.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked falafel to a bowl lined with kitchen paper. Enjoy freshly fried and still warm.
Notes
- Don't use cooked or tinned chickpeas! Your falafel WILL fall apart in the hot oil. Start one day ahead, and cover a cup of dried chickpeas with about three cups of cool water. Leave to soak overnight or until the chickpeas have roughly doubled in weight.
- If you don't have a thermometer to measure the temperature of your oil, place a pinch of falafel mix in the oil. If it sizzles instantly, the oil is hot enough. Next, test the temperature with a single falafel. After 3 minutes in the oil, the falafel should be golden brown outside, with a soft and fluffy inside. Adjust the temperature of your oil accordingly.
- I prefer small round falafel balls for snacking, but you can also flatten them into small patties. Or make them double the size (cook for 5 minutes).
- Freeze the uncooked falafel balls: Place the parchment-lined baking sheet with rolled falafel balls in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid (about an hour), transfer them to a sealable bag. They will stay fresh in the freezer for one month.
- Fry small falafel balls from frozen: Fry as per the recipe for 30 seconds longer (3 minutes 30 seconds) until the falafel are crispy and cooked through.