Description
This authentic falafel recipe, passed down from my Egyptian father, is crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful inside, and packed with fresh herbs and spices. Made with dried, soaked chickpeas, these homemade falafels are naturally vegan and gluten-free. Pan-fry, bake, or air-fry!
Ingredients
Falafel Recipe
- 1 cup dry chickpeas - yields roughly 2 cups soaked. Soak 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 to 2 cups. Place in a strainer, drain well, and pat dry with a towel for extra dryness or lay out on a sheet pan until fully dry. (Wet chickpeas can make the mixture fall apart.)
- Blend: Place onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno in the food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the 2 cups of chickpeas, salt, spices, and baking soda; pulse again 10 times, scrape down the sides, then add the olive oil and process for 10 seconds, until it is well blended but still coarse like sand. Don’t overwork it; it should be coarse and granular for the best texture, not smooth! Refrigerate 15-20 minutes.
- Form: Using damp hands, carefully form 12 round, ping-pong-sized balls, compressing them between your palms and slightly flattening them. 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 medium-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 back on the sheet pan in the oven while you cook the remaining falafels to finish cooking. Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.
- Tip: Falafels can be cooked ahead, refrigerated, 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
Don’t use canned or cooked chickpeas, they’re 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 Instructions: Preheat the air fryer to 375 F. Place falafels on a greased grate and spray with olive oil. Air fry for 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: 3 falafel
- Calories: 308
- Sugar: 5.8 g
- Sodium: 637.6 mg
- Fat: 3.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.8 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 14.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
