Falafel Recipe How To Make Falafel

Authentic Falafel Recipe

Falafel, a world famous Lebanese dish, It is popular throughout middle eastern and now been getting popular all over the world. These crispy fried chickpea patties makes the best falafel sandwich ever. They are so flavourful, crunchy outside and moist in the middle. These turned to be my favorite Lebanese dish along with Chicken Shawarma and Lime Coriander Chicken Kebabs. I have been trying so many years for making the best falafel and was constantly updating this blog post with the tips and techniques which I have learned over the years. With over 10 years of culinary experience I can tell you that this falafel is the best. It uses the right ingredients, modest amount of herbs and spices which makes sense to create the most crispy exterior. I have shared all my tips and troubleshooting for you to make the best falafel ever!

What is Falafel?

Falafel is a popular middle eastern fast food snack made with chickpeas or fava beans, lots of fresh herbs, spices. The ingredients are ground into a coarse paste, formed into patties and fried in hot oil till golden and crispy. Falafel is popular with the street vendors in Egypt. Falafels are usually served as a snack on its own with tahini sauce. But one of the most popular way to enjoy a falafel is in a pita sandwich with cucumber and tomato salad. It is a popular vegan snack all over Egypt and Middle east. You won’t believe how easy it to make this world famous dish. All you need is simple ingredients and some techniques which I have shared in this post.

Watch Falafel Recipe Video

Falafel Ingredients

Dried Chickpeas - no cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas. Dried chickpeas (chana) is washed and soaked in water for at least 8 hours. It is one of the most important ingredient in making falafel. Onion - use one small size onion. Too much onion will make the falafel mixture watery. Garlic - use fresh garlic for best flavour. Herbs - tons of fresh herbs like parsley, coriander leaves, dill is used. You can also add some mint leaves. Spices - freshly roasted and ground cumin adds so much depth to the dish. Traditionally baharat spice mix is added, but you can skip if you don’t have it. Baking soda - makes the falafel crispy and light. Optional - sesame seeds adds crunch to the falafel, it provides the nutty taste to the dish.

Canned vs Dried Chickpeas for Falafel

There is a big debate over the Internet. Whether to use canned or dried? The Big Answer is “No”, Never use canned chickpeas or cooked chickpeas when making falafels. Always use dried chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are cooked which has so much moisture in them. So when you grind and deep fry the patties, It might not hold together. The patties might disintegrate in the oil. Also the texture of falafels made with canned chickpeas will be soggy with no crispy exterior. Dried chickpeas are washed and soaked in water(usually with a tsp of baking soda, to soften the chickpeas) for at least 8 hours. The chickpeas will double in size as they soak. Make sure you drain them very well using a colander before grinding.

Expert Tips & Troubleshooting

I have curated all the tips and techniques I have learned over the years of making falafel. Read this whole section carefully and troubleshoot if you find any issues when making falafels.

Dried Chickpeas

Wash and Soak Dried chickpeas in water(with a tsp of baking soda, to soften the chickpeas) for at least 8 hours. The chickpeas will double in size as they soak. Make sure you drain them very well using a colander before grinding. Now take your drained chickpeas in a food processor. You can store the soaked chickpeas in fridge for upto 2 days, in the freezer upto a month. Defrost before using.

Grinding

If you have a food processor, then your job is easy here. You can add all the ingredients together into a food processor and grind till it is well blend. The mixture will look coarse but totally crushed. If you don’t own a food processor, you can use a blender jar to make the mixture. Add chickpeas into the blender jar and pulse few times to grind it into a coarse mixture. The add the remaining ingredients and pulse few times to get the desired consistency.

Falafel Mix Consistency (too wet or too dry)

Falafel mixture should be thick and you should be able to form patties easily. The patties should hold pretty good when you shape them. If your mixture is too wet, you can add some gram flour or besan for binding. alternatively, you can add breadcrumbs to the mixture for binding. If you find your mixture too dry and coarse, blend in the food processor some more time till it resembles breadcrumbs like texture.

Shaping Falafels

Use an ice cream scoop for shaping. It makes your job easy and gives even portion size. I scoop the falafel mixture in the scoop and press it firmly right in the scoop, before un moulding it in my hands. This way I find it easy to shape the falafel in my hands. You can follow whichever method suits you. Instead of shaping it into patties, you can form balls as well.

Refrigeration

Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The chilled mixture will hold together better, making it easier to form the falafel patties. Alternatively, you can form the patties and refrigerate for 30 minutes before frying.

Frying

Traditionally falafels are deep fried in oil. Make sure your oil is not too hot when frying, else the patties will get dark exterior without fully cooked in the interior. Oil should be around 375 degrees F for frying. Drop falafels gently in hot oil using a slotted spoon. Always fry in batches, don’t over crowd the pan. Make sure you do a test fry before frying the whole lot.

How to Make Falafel (Step-by-Step Pictures)

Wash and Soak Dried chickpeas in water(with a tsp of baking soda, to soften the chickpeas) for at least 8 hours. The chickpeas will double in size as they soak. Make sure you drain them very well using a colander before grinding. Now take your drained chickpeas in a food processor.

Add in your preferred herbs of choice. I used coriander leaves. You can add parsley, dill or mint leaves. Add in roughly chopped onion, peeled garlic cloves, cumin powder, green chillies and salt. 3)Blend this whole thing till it is ground. Make sure you scrape the sides of food processor in between the grinding process. Don’t add any water when grinding. The mixture will look coarsely ground with a bit of texture. 4)Transfer this mixture into a bowl. Add in baking soda and sesame seeds. 5)mix this really well. now falafel mixture is ready to fry. Once the mixture is ready, you can either shape and fry immediately or place the mixture in fridge for at least 1 hour for the mixture to firm up a little. This makes the frying process easier. 6)I prefer to use an ice cream scoop for scooping even portions of falafel mixture. 7)Shape the mixture into a patties. It will hold together. You can pop the formed patties in fridge for 30 minutes before frying. If you find it difficult to shape the patties or your mixture is too wet. You can add some gram flour into the mixture for binding. 8)Drop the shaped patties in hot oil. once you drop the patties in hot oil, don’t mix it immediately. If you tend to mix immediately after you drop the patties, it may break and disintegrate in the oil. Let the patties fry for few seconds before you mix them gently. Make sure you fry the patties in low medium heat. 9)Deep fry the patties till golden brown on all sides. It will take around 8 to 10 minutes. 10)Serve the falafel with pita bread, tahini sauce or side salad.

How to Make Baked Falafel

Falafels can be baked in oven for a healthier option. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degree C). Lightly oil a baking sheet. Brush each patties with oil. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, make sure you flip the falafel patties over halfway through baking.

How to Cook Falafel in Air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F (180 degree C). Lightly grease the bottom of your air fryer with oil. Place the patties inside the air fryer. Brush each patties with oil. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, make sure you flip the falafel patties over halfway through baking.

How to Serve Falafels

As a Sandwich - To make a falafel sandwich. Grab a pita bread and spread a generous amount of garlic sauce (toum), fill the pita pockets with the patties. Add lettuce, onions, tomatoes and more garlic sauce. Middle Eastern Spread - Serve with your other middle eastern meals, tabouli salad, balela salad, fresh veggies with tahini sauce. As a snack - serve straight out of the oil, hot and fresh! with Dips - serve with array of dips, enjoy hot crispy falafels with Creamy Hummus, and Babaganoush.

More Middle Eastern Recipes to Try

📖 Recipe Card

If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter for more Yummy Tummy inspiration.