Falafel Recipe
You will love how easy this Falafel recipe comes together! Made with chickpeas, fresh herbs, and flavorful spices, these falafels are bursting with flavor! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this is a naturally vegan and gluten-free recipe.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 204kcal
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked dried chickpeas do not use canned chickpeas
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley stems removed
- 1 cup fresh cilantro stems removed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- ½ tsp cayenne optional
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- vegetable oil for frying
For Serving
- pita bread
- hummus
- tahini sauce
- diced cucumber
- tomato
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas in a large bowl of water for at least 8 hours.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then add to a food processor along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper, and baking powder. Process until the mixture has a consistency that holds together when you squeeze it in your hands. Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour.
- Fill a medium saucepan with about 3 inches of oil. Heat until it reaches 350 F.
- Form the falafel mixture into balls, about 1.5” in diameter. Carefully add the balls into the oil and fry for 2 to 4 minutes until each ball has become golden. Fry in batches as to not overcrowd your pan.
- Place the cooked falafel on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
- Serve with pita bread, hummus, tahini sauce, and diced cucumber and tomato.
Video
Notes
- Before rolling, you can use a cookie scoop to portion out the mixture for perfectly uniformed falafels.
- Chickpeas double in size as they soak, so use a large enough vessel when soaking them.
- Do not skip chilling the mixture. It helps the mixture firm up, so they hold its shape better.
- It’s important to keep the temperature of the oil steady at 350F. If the temperature drops (usually by adding too many falafels into the oil at once), the falafel won’t be as crisp. If the temperature is too high, the exterior will burn before the interior cooks.
- When shaping the falafels, do not pack them too tightly. They will become dense and tough if you’re squeezing them hard.
Nutrition
Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1681IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 5mg