I remember the first time I ever tried Middle Eastern food was in my early 20s and since then, I have jumped on the falafel and hummus bandwagon.
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern “fast food” made from a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into either small patties or balls. It is often served in sandwich form with a generous drizzle of tahini or hummus and topped with lots of fresh salad. This vegan dish is made with simple, everyday ingredients and you just won’t believe how easy it is to make it. However, the key to a good falafel is great ingredients so be sure to purchase high quality spices for your mixture. Some of my favourite brands are The Spice Hunter and McCormick!
Over the years I have learned how to make my own falafel and I am super excited to share with you my recipe! Let's start with a few tips first:
- No canned chickpeas (very important!) If you're after the best texture and flavor, you need to start with dry chickpeas. (Tips: You can add about 1/2 tsp of baking soda to the soaking water to help soften the dry chickpeas). There are some recipes out there that use canned chickpeas which is not authentic and will cause the falafel balls to disintegrate. Trust me on this one.
- Make ahead and freezer friendly. I love that this recipe can be prepped ahead of time, and you can freeze uncooked falafel balls for later use.
- Baking powder (optional): This is what gives falafel an airy, fluffy texture so that they don't come out too dense.
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Avocado oil (enough to coat the falafels. I use the Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray so around 1-2 pumps)
- 1 cup dried (uncooked/raw) chickpeas, rinsed and soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- ½ small red onion (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley (mostly leaves but small stems are ok)
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro (mostly leaves but small stems are ok)
- 4 cloves garlic, quartered
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon of chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1. Place the chickpeas into a mixing bowl and pour in enough water to cover them by at least 5cm. Leave them overnight to hydrate. The chickpeas will at least double in size as they soak. Drain very well.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and line your baking tray with parchment paper.
3. In a food processor, combine the soaked and drained chickpeas, parsley and cilantro, garlic, onion, and spices. Pulse a little at a time until the mixture is finely grounded. It should take around a minute. You’ll know it’s ready when the texture is more like coarse meal.
4. Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight. The chilled mixture will hold together better, making it easier to form the falafel patties.
5. Scoop out rounded tablespoon of the mixture at a time. Shape the falafel into small balls or patties (if you go the patties route, do not flatten them too much, you want them to still be nice and fluffy when they're cooked). Place each falafel on your baking tray.
6. Coat them with avocado oil and bake for 20 minutes, carefully flipping the falafels halfway through baking, until the falafels are deeply golden on both sides. These falafels keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for several months. Recipe yields approximately 12 falafels.
NOTES:
The magic ingredients for making it crispy are the chickpea flour and avocado oil (for baking). Panko breadcrumbs can also be used too for an even crispier coating.
If you want to try other flavor variations, consider adding ground turmeric, curry powder or even ground chillies for a spicy twist!
I can't stress how simple this recipe is, requiring less then 10 ingredients (give or take a spice) and comes together beautifully in a blender or food processor. It is also very well spiced with infusions from both the garlic and cumin that gives them that tangy, smoky flavor which I absolutely love. I have chosen to bake them for a healthier touch and they are best serve in a pitta bread with tomato, onion, lettuce and some hummus! Otherwise, just serve them with a bed of greens for a lighter option.
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