Traditional Falafels
Nothing really beats a crispy falafel. There’s something so satisfying about the crunchy exterior pared with the soft fluffy inner. Falafel was one of those things that I only ever got from restaurants or market stalls (i’m a sucker for a good falafel wrap). But now I’ve learned how to make these at home there is no going back. Trust me you’ll feel the same!
Traditional Falafels
Nothing really beats a crispy falafel. There's something so satisfying about the crunchy exterior pared with the soft fluffy inner. Here's my recipe for how to whip up a batch of these salty treats at home.
This meal is around 91% less polluting than the average UK meal.
Eating this recipe will save around 2.67 KG CO2e per person.
That’s equivalent to the emissions produced driving 22.04 KM in a modern car.
How do I calculate this?Ingredients
- 450 g Dried Chickpeas
- 1 Small Onion (finely chopped)
- 4 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
- 4 Tablespoons Plain Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 15 g Flat Leaf Parsley (finely chopped)
- 15 g Coriander (finely chopped)
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- 24 hours before starting to cook the falafels you want to begin to soak them. Place them in a deep mixing bowl and cover with a generous amount of water. They will roughly double in size so be sure to put enough water so they remain covered. After about 12 hours, drain the chickpeas and change the water. Leave to soak for another 12 hours.
- Once soaked drain the chickpeas and place into a food processor. Tip in the rest of the falafel ingredients. Pulse the food processor until the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Be careful not to over process, as this will turn the interior of your falafels cakey when cooked.
- Tip the finished mixture into a prep bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. This will ensure that the falafel is easier to mould and stick together in your hands.
- Remove the mixture from the fridge and begin to form the falafels. Take about 2 – 4 tablespoons worth of the blended chickpeas and compress in your hands into a circular saucer shape. You don't want the falafel to be too round and thick as this may cause the insides to be undercooked after frying.
- Place a large saucepan over a medium to high heat. Pour in enough vegetable oil to completely cover a single falafel. Using a candy thermometer heat the oil to 175˚c. If you don't have a thermometer place a little bit of one of the falafels in the oil. When the falafel piece begins to bubble and spit the oil is ready.
- When your oil is hot enough, gently tip a few falafel into the pan. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan as this will drop the temperature of your oil too much. Fry the falafels for around 7-9 minutes or until the outside is crisp and dark brown.
- Continue frying the rest of the falafel until every one is cooked. Serve immediately.
2 Comments
Heather
November 21, 2020 at 4:21 pm
Do you have an oven baked version? Love all your recipes- as a trainee Ecologist, I’m really concerned about where my food is coming from- but I also want to eat healthy too!
hugo
November 21, 2020 at 4:30 pm
Hey Heather! thanks for your kind words. So you can bake these in the oven if you so wish. They come out pretty good and as you quite rightly pointed out they are a bit kinder on the waist! If you prefer to bake them, once you’ve prepped the falafel balls as per the recipe above you:
Preheat your oven to 200˚c.
Drizzle a little vegetable oil over an oven tray. Then place your falafel balls onto the tray. Place in the oven and bake for around 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. You’ll need to turn your falafels halfway through baking to ensure they are evenly crispy on the outside.
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Alternatively I have another recipe for baked kale falafels here: https://www.lowlyfood.com/recipe/baked-black-kale-falafels/
Hope this helps