Falafels: the quick and easy recipe
One of our favorite recipes to make with chickpeas? Falafels! This famous recipe from the Middle East will tantalize your taste buds. A healthy, vegetarian, and aromatic preparation that showcases the richness of Lebanese cuisine. Whether as an appetizer, starter, or main dish, these little balls filled with plant-based protein will find a place in your kitchen! Follow our detailed guide ;-)
Ingredients
Materials
- Fryer
Preparation
Put the drained chickpeas, flour, chopped onion, and minced garlic in a bowl.
Add the chopped herbs and spices.
Mash everything together using a potato masher or another tool to obtain a paste that is not too fine. Avoid using a blender at this stage; the paste should be coarsely mashed.
Form chickpea balls the size of a ping pong ball.
Fry them in hot oil for 3 minutes. Once removed from the fryer, place your falafels on paper towels to absorb excess cooking oil.
There you go, your Lebanese falafels are ready!
Observations
How to cook falafels in the oven?
Want to avoid frying? Bake them instead! Once formed, bake your falafels for 20 minutes at 190°C. For a crispy effect, you can reduce this time to 18 minutes and finish cooking in 'grill' mode.
How to cook falafels in a pan?
A new way to avoid frying ;-) Over medium heat with a bit of fat (butter or oil), cook your homemade falafels for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
What sauce to accompany my homemade falafels?
To accompany them during an appetizer or to add to a sandwich, a sauce is always welcome with falafels. You can make a white sauce combining yogurt, fresh herbs (mint, coriander, parsley), lemon, and a touch of olive oil, for example.
Feel free to add tahini (sesame paste) or curry/cumin, as well as some sesame seeds. We also like to spice it up a bit with garlic powder. The advantage of sauces is that you can mix in the ingredients of your choice in desired amounts ;-)
Which chickpeas to use for making falafels?
For a quicker recipe, you can use canned or jarred chickpeas, which are already cooked. Otherwise, use dried chickpeas. Remember to soak them the night before (at least 12 hours) in a container filled with water. Your chickpeas will absorb water and increase in size by about 1.5 times. Once drained, you can blend them and start your classic falafel recipe. In fact, falafel enthusiasts prefer the recipe based on dried chickpeas; just saying... ;-)
How to flavor my falafels?
Beyond salt and pepper, several spices and herbs can be added to your Lebanese falafel recipe. For spices, we love to add cumin, curry, and paprika. For herbs, parsley and coriander are our favorites. Don't forget to add garlic cloves or onion to your mixture.
How to make falafels that hold together?
Nothing is worse than falafels that fall apart while cooking..! When blending your chickpeas, do it in bursts to achieve a smooth paste without turning it into mush. Then, when forming your falafels, moisten your hands and take a tablespoon of the mixture. Shape it into a ball in your palms while pressing to ensure the falafel holds together well. Take your time; it's better than having falafels that fall apart during cooking.
How to make falafels more digestible?
Chickpeas often have a bad reputation (justly or not) regarding digestion. To avoid stomach aches, we recommend adding a pinch of baking soda to your falafel recipe to make them more digestible.
How to eat falafels?
Enjoy them as an appetizer, serve them with a sauce as mentioned above, or integrate them into a pita sandwich. Also, consider pairing them with vegetables or a salad to create a healthy and easy dish.
How many falafels per person?
If serving them as a dish and your falafels are medium-sized, count between 5 and 8 per person.
How to make gluten-free falafels?
Replace wheat flour with cornstarch or potato starch.
