Crispy Fluffy Falafel
Delicious, crispy, fluffy and oh so easy to put together. Get ready to impress with these perfect, herby homemade falafel!
Equipment
- food processor large
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry chickpeas not canned
- 1 Tbsp baking soda to mix into dry chickpeas
- water to cover chickpeas
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 bunch dill roughly chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 medium onion or 1/2 of a small onion
- 3/4 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1/2 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 1 1/4 tsp ground cumin roasted is best
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- sesame seeds for pressing into the falafel
Instructions
- Rinse the chickpeas a couple of times, in a large bowl.
- Fill the bowl with enough water to cover the chickpeas by about three inches.
- Add in the 1 tablespoon of baking soda, stir and set aside to rest overnight. The chickpeas will double in size
- The next morning, rinse and drain the chickpeas.
- Add the chickpeas to a large food processor, along with the garlic, onion, herbs and spices, baking powder, baking soda *omit if you're freezing batches and you'd like to add these just before frying - see notes under 'ingredients' above* and two tablespoons of the olive oil. This can be done in more than one batch, which is what I usually do.
- With the processor on low, begin to blend the ingredients together. Slowly bringing it up to medium high, stopping to scrape down the bowl and mix the ingredients up inside as needed.
- You'll want the mixture to be somewhat grainy, not completely smooth, but not so grainy that it won't stick together easily. Please see the video above for reference.
- If you're doing this in batches, remove the first batch and repeat. Add only enough oil to help process the ingredients, patience is key during the blending step. Combine all the batches into one bowl and mix well so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- To freeze: divide into batches, and place into freezer safe bags. I like to lay them flat and press down, so they're easier to store and quicker to defrost. Freeze for up to four months; defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature if using the same day.
- For frying: these can be either shallow or deep fried. For shallow frying, add enough oil to cover your falafel half way to a heavy bottomed skillet. Heat the oil to medium high. For deep frying, add about five inches of oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat the oil to medium high. Before frying, test the temperature of the oil by making mini falafel and frying it - I also do this to test for salt!
- Form the mixture into a roundish disk shape, I like to make a small indentation in the centre on both sides, to ensure the centre cooks through fully. Press the uncooked falafel into sesame seeds and fry until deep golden brown on both sides.
- Serve fresh for best results!