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.

Course Meze, Side Dish

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword easy falafel recipe, traditional falafel recipe, vegan falafel recipe

Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Soaking Time 1 d

Total Time 1 d 1 hr 50 mins

Servings Servings (4-5 falafel)

Calories 735

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.

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