Description

How to make the best authentic Falafel from scratch using soaked chickpeas (not canned) with Homemade Pita, Creamy Tahini Sauce, Pickled Turnips, and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce *Chickpeas need 10-24 hours of soaking time. I recommend making a double batch. See notes for an air-fryer or baked falafels.

Ingredients

Units

Falafel Recipe

1 cup dry chickpeas (yields roughly 2 cups soaked), soaked 10-24 hours
1 1/2 cups cilantro, packed (stems ok) or sub-Italian parsley
1/2 cup white or yellow onion, rough chopped
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 of a jalapeno, seeds ok (add the entire thing if you want a little kick)
1 tablespoon ground Coriander
1 tablespoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
Oil for cooking- olive oil, spray olive oil, avocado oil

Instructions

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 375 F.
Soak: Cover the dry chickpeas in a bowl of ample cold water on the counter for 10-12 hours or up to 24 hours in the fridge. They will swell into 2 cups. Place in a strainer, drain well, pat dry with a towel for extra dryness. (Wet chickpeas will be more difficult to fry.)
Blend: Place onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno in the food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the 2 cups of the soaked, raw chickpeas, salt, spices, and baking soda, pulse again 10 times, scrape down sides, then add the olive oil, and process 10 seconds, until it is well blended but still coarse like sand. Don’t overwork it- this should not be smooth but coarse and granular for the best texture.
Form: Using damp hands, carefully form 12 round ping pong-sized balls in your hands, compressing them into a tidy ball. Place on a sheet-pan. The dough will feel wet and delicate, and this is completely OK.
Pan sear: In a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on med-high heat until it sizzles when a pea-sized falafel is dropped. Turn heat to medium. Place them carefully in the hot oil, (they are fragile but should hold together just fine) slightly press down, and do not move them until they develop a deeply golden crust (this crust will ensure they naturally release themselves from the pan). Using a thin metal spatula, carefully turn them over. Lower heat if necessary. Sear the other side. Each side will take about 3-4 minutes. Cook in batches, not overcrowding. Place falafels in the oven while you cook the remaining falafels to cook them through. Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Falafels can be cooked ahead, frigerated, and reheated in the oven. Alternatively, the falafel “dough” can be made ahead, refrigerated, and used throughout the week.
Serve with pita bread, tahini sauce, or tahini yogurt sauce (my favorite), sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh cilantro and pickled onions.

Notes

Do not use canned or cooked chickpeas- not the same.

Try Fava Beans: Feel free to use soaked fava beans- or a combo of both- also delicious!

Baking instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the falafels on a greased parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then flip and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until golden. These can be cooled and frozen.

Air Fryer Insturctions: Preheat the air fryer to 375 F. Place falafels on a greased grate and spray with spray olive oil. Air fry 5 minutes, turn over, then air fry until golden, another 2-3 minutes.

Meal Prep: The falafel mixture can be kept in the refrigerator and pan-seared “to order”. For example, I’ll often make a double batch and just store the bowl of falafel mix (covered) in the fridge for the week, pan-searing as needed.

Pickled Turnips: Peel and thinly cut turnips and use the pickled veggies recipe. Add a tiny sliver of beetroot to get a lovely pink color!

Tahini Sauce: To make your tahini sauce even creamier- stir in a couple of tablespoons of yogurt.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 falafels
Calories: 246
Sugar: 4.7 g
Sodium: 510.1 mg
Fat: 2.5 g
Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
Carbohydrates: 47.9 g
Fiber: 5.9 g
Protein: 11.8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg