Falafel

Falafel

Ready In - 20 Minutes

Average Reviews

Description

Level

Easy

Yield

20 balls

Prep Time

20 minutes

Falafel is an Arabic and vegan food which is also called as legume fritters. The real root of falafel is undefined. It is said that the word “falafel” may have descended from the Arabic word meaning “pepper.”

Have you guys ever tried making falafel at home? Falafel is very easy to make. Soaking chickpeas one night before is the only thing you should remember when you want to cook falafel.

Chickpeas, being the main ingredient of falafel, is an excellent source of protein, especially for those who do not consume meat and meat products. The small bites of falafel are packed with tons of nutrients and have a tantalizing flavor when served with hummus.

You can serve these falafels as an appetizer as these bite-sized balls are terrific for summer festivities. Falafel is also an excellent option if you’re in search for healthy snacks. You should try it out if you haven’t because they are not FAL- AWFUL at all.

Ingredients

1. Dried and soaked chickpeas - 1 cup
2. Onion, roughly chopped - 1 cup
3. Dried parsley - 2 teaspoon
4. Coriander, finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
5. Salt - 1 teaspoon
6. Chili powder - ½ - 1 teaspoon
7. Garlic - 4 cloves
8. Cumin - 1 teaspoon
9. Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
10. Flour or chickpea flour - 4 - 6 tablespoons
11. Oil - for frying
12. Lemon wedges - for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. To blend all the ingredients (mentioned above from point 1 to 8) use a food processor. Make sure to blend and not puree the mixture.

2. Blend the mixture again by adding 4 tablespoons of flour and baking powder.

3. Take the dough out from the food processor into a bowl. Cling wrap the bowl and refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.

4. Now, make balls from falafel mixture. The size of the falafel balls should be about the size of a golf ball. Falafel scoop can also be used which is readily available in the market.

5. Heat 3-inch oil in a deep pan to fry. First, add 1 ball into the oil for testing. If the ball breaks, add more flour.

6. When the ball retains its shape, then add 6 balls at once into the oil. Fry them until golden brown.

7. Remove them from oil and place these falafels on a tissue paper to drain all the excess oil.

8. Serve these hot falafels immediately on a toothpick. You can also serve falafels in a platter with lemon wedges and hummus.

Important Note: Do not use canned chickpeas to make falafel because the level of moisture is not the same as dried chickpeas.

POSSIBLE REASONS FOR HARD OR CRUNCHY FALAFEL:

There are TWO possible reasons if your falafel is hard or very crunchy.
1. You should use fresh chickpeas to make falafel.

2. The mixture should be blended well enough in a way that you obtain a thick paste.

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