on Sep 19, 2020 Here are some more Middle Eastern Recipes, that you can make for your weekend brunch – Mutabal, Basbousa, Lavash, Baba Ganoush, Black Bean Hummus, and Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Salad.
About This Recipe
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish, which is made of chickpeas and is flavored with fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro. To make this recipe, chickpeas are soaked overnight or for a few hours and then ground to a coarse paste along with garlic and fresh herbs such as cilantro and coriander. A few basic spices are also added in this mixture such as cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper which gives it a lovely earthy flavor, that is very hard to resist. Traditionally, these Chickpea balls are deep-fried, but nowadays you can make it in various ways to make it healthy. You can either bake falafel in an oven, which will give it a different texture but it tastes delicious too. You can also make it in Paniyaram pans, which uses very little oil and also makes these crispy. Air Fryer is also great to cook these. Originally, Falafel Recipe was made with Fava beans and it is still made in this way in Egypt and other Arab countries, but Israeli falafel is usually made from chickpeas only. It is a great option for vegans because it contains no meat and dairy. Therefore, it is also very popular among vegetarians and vegans. This dish is,
Vegan Perfectly crispy Gluten-Free High in Protein Delicious Perfect for healthy meals
Ingredients
Chickpeas – Chickpeas are the main ingredient used to make Falafel. They are a great source of protein, therefore including them in your everyday meal is very important. They are soaked overnight and then ground along with other ingredients. Onion and Garlic – Both garlic and onions are finely chopped and added along with overnight soaked chickpeas while grinding. These two ingredients add a nice traditional flavor. Other Ingredients – For added taste, you will need parsley, cilantro, salt, cumin, coriander, pepper, cayenne, baking soda, and lemon juice. The addition of baking soda makes these fluffy and soft from inside, which is a key to perfectly made Falafel. Chickpea Flour or Besan – This flour is added to bind the chickpea patty. Oil – To deep fry the Falafel. You can also pan-fry them, but it won’t be as crispy as the deep-fried ones.
Step By Step Recipe
Wash the chickpeas well and soak them in 4-5 cups of water for 5-6 hours. Drain the water well from the chickpeas. Add the soaked chickpeas in a food processor along with onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, pepper, cayenne, baking soda, lemon juice, and chickpea flour. Pulse until a coarse mixture is formed. Transfer this mixture into a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. Use a cookie scoop and make small balls from the mixture. Fry the falafel on medium-high heat (350 Degrees F or 180 Degrees C) until browned from all the sides. Remove on a plate lined with kitchen tissue. Serve hot.
Frequently Asked Question
Serving Suggestions
It is a very versatile dish, that can be served in various ways. You can serve it as an appetizer with a middle eastern dip such as hummus or tahini dip. You can add Falafel in Pita pocket along with some tomato slices, greens, onions, and hummus to make a lip-smacking sandwich. Add these to make a Mezze platter that includes Hummus, Tzatziki, Baba Ganoush, toasted Pita Bread, and pickled cucumbers. You can make small Falafel and add them to your Green Salad. Just add lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, falafel in a bowl, and flavor it with a tahini sauce. Your falafel salad bowl is ready. You can also stuff these into your wraps and rolls to make a fusion dish. Make them in the shape of a patty and use them to make falafel burgers.
Storage Suggestions
You can store cooked Falafel or the falafel mixture in an airtight container stored in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days. Falafel freezes very well. You can make these, bake them for 15 minutes at 180 degrees C. Cool them completely and once they are ready, you can freeze them in a ziplock bag or an airtight container for about 2 to 3 months. When you want to use them again, take them out of the freezer and keep them out to reach room temperature. Once they are ready to use, you can deep fry them.
Variations
With Beet – Add some beet puree in the mixture and make beet falafel. With Spinach – Add spinach puree in the mixture and make spinach falafel.
Pro Tips By Neha
Do not use cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas to make Falafel, this recipe demands for dry and soaked chickpeas. Once you make the falafel mixture, refrigerate it for 30 minutes, so that it holds the shape together while frying and also results in crispy falafel. Do not crowd the pan with lots of falafel. Fry them in batches, otherwise, they can soak the oil and will not be crispy. Make sure the oil is hot enough, before dropping the Falafel. If dropped in cold oil, they will soak oil. You might also like
