The BEST Homemade Falafel
Look no further - I will teach you how to make the best, tastiest falafels in your very own kitchen!These crunchy, golden balls are perfection. Served inside a warm pita bread, used in a salad, or in a bowl, you can never wrong with this healthy, vegetarian source of protein. A powerhouse of healthy carbs and clean protein, this food can be a staple in your diet. For an even healthier diet, you can try the baked version of the falafel, which I also included in this recipe. No Mediterranean diet is complete without the falafel. Bon Appétit!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry chickpeas
- 1 small onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- Light olive oil or canola oil for frying (enough to cover frying pan with at least 3-4 inches of oil)
Seasoning
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl filled with water and top by 3 inches. Soak for at least 12 hours. The chickpeas will double in size after soaking.
- Drain, rinse and dry the soaked chickpeas. Add them to the bowl of a large food processor with a fitted blade along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, chopped parsley and cilantro. Pulse the ingredients together until they turn into fine crumbs then add all the Seasoning ingredients as well as the lemon juice. Blend everything together by scraping down the sides as needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- At the time of frying, add the baking powder and baking soda to the falafel mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon or in the bowl of a kitchen aid fitted with a mixing paddle. Place the sesame seeds in a small bowl.
- Use an ice cream scoop or your hands to spoon 2-3 inch round falafel balls. Dip each ball in the sesame seeds and arrange them on a flat tray.
- Fill a frying pan with 3 to 4 inches of oil, heat on medium heat until the oil becomes hot.
- Gently place the falafel balls in the oil and avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes by flipping them halfway through until they become crispy and the color turns golden brown.
- Remove the falafel balls from the oil and drain them on paper towels or in a colander.
- Serve the falafel stuffed in pita bread or with a green salad.
Baked Falafel (Optional)
- To bake the falafels instead of frying, follow the same instructions and at time of baking place the falafel balls on a greased baking dish and brush each ball with oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 25 to 30 minutes by flipping them halfway through.