Homemade Falafel
Difficulty Level: Advanced
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Prep Time:20 Minutes
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Cook Time:PT35M15 Minutes
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Yield:4-6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- ½ medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh curly-leaf parsley or cilantro (or both)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or dried chili flakes (1/4 teaspoon if prefer more spice)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 4-6 tablespoons flour (rice flour or garbanzo flour is also fine)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Pita bread or flatbread, warmed
- For serving:
- Chopped tomato, diced onion, shredded lettuce
- Tahini sauce and/or tzatziki sauce
- 236.59ml dried chickpeas
- 0.5 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 25.56g fresh curly-leaf parsley or cilantro (or both)
- 4.26g salt
- 4.26g cumin
- 0.53g cayenne pepper or dried chili flakes (1/4 teaspoon if prefer more spice)
- 6.39g baking powder
- 4-6 tablespoons flour (rice flour or garbanzo flour is also fine)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Pita bread or flatbread, warmed
- For serving:
- Chopped tomato, diced onion, shredded lettuce
- Tahini sauce and/or tzatziki sauce
Travel no further than your home kitchen to enjoy falafel, a popular Mediterranean fast-food of small, deep-fried patties made of chickpeas, herbs and spices. Crunchy, perfectly seasoned, and delicious served in warm pita with veggies and sauce. *Recipe requires soaking the beans overnight.
Preparation
STEP 1
Soak dried chickpeas in water overnight in the refrigerator.
STEP 2
Place onions, garlic and parsley or cilantro in food processor and pulse until well chopped but not puréed.
STEP 3
Add drained chickpeas, salt, cumin and cayenne or chilis and pulse until mixture is almost puréed but not totally smooth. For chunkier falafel, process less.
STEP 4
Place mixture in a bowl and add the baking powder and half of the flour. Stir until incorporated. Add more flour until the mixture resembles a thick paste and holds a shape.
STEP 5
Form into balls or patties about two inches in diameter. In a large skillet, heat 2-3 inches of oil to 370˚F. Test one ball - it should sizzle when it hits the oil. If it doesn’t hold together, add more flour to the mixture.
STEP 6
Fry in batches, allowing oil to reheat between each. Fry 2-3 minutes per side, or until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
STEP 7
To serve, stuff half a pita or flatbread with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, lettuce and sauces.
Options
In classic street food style, crispy French fries can make a fun and tasty addition to your falafel pita wrap.