Falafel
Servings: 35 balls
Calories: 44cal
Equipment
- Cookie scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas (not canned, see notes at end)
- 1 cup cilantro leaves packed, roughly chopped
- ½ cup mint leaves packed, roughly chopped
- ½ cup Italian parsley packed, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic 5-6 cloves
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour or chickpea flour for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Measure dry garbanzo beans into a large bowl and cover with cold water. The water should be above the garbanzo beans by 3-4 inches. Allow beans to soak for 18-24 hours until tripled in size.
- Drain and rinse the soaked garbanzo beans. Transfer to a food processor.
- Add the cilantro, mint, and parsley to the food processor. Add the cardamom, coriander, salt, pepper, and garlic to the food processor.
- Chop using the pulse function until the mixture resembled a coarse sand. Do not puree the mixture, but chop it small enough that it clumps together if you squeeze it in the palm of your hand. If your food processor does not hold all of the ingredients, divide the mixture into two batches initially, and then combine once everything is chopped down small enough.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder over the mixture and stir everything together.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (this helps the ingredients moisten so that the falafel holds together better when forming the balls.)
- Use a 1 1⁄2 tablespoon cookie scoop to form uniform balls of the mixture. Form gently in your hand to make smooth balls.
- Heat at least 4 inches of oil in a deep pot, a Dutch oven is ideal for frying. Clip a thermometer onto the pot so that you can constantly monitor the temperature of the oil. Heat until the oil reaches 350°F and then adjust the burner temperature from there to maintain 350° oil throughout the cooking.
- Carefully drop a few falafel at a time into the hot oil. Roll them around to help them cook evenly on all sides. Fry until the falafel are a nice golden brown (about 2-3 minutes) and then use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove from the oil. Place on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
- Serve warm with tahini.
Notes
- This recipe will make roughly 30-36 balls.
- The falafel will sink when first added to the oil and can stick to the bottom. Gently lift them from the bottom of the pot when they’re added and roll them around a bit to ensure they cook evenly all over.
- Maintaining the temperature of the oil is very important. If the falafel cook too slowly (temp too cool) they will soak up excess oil. If the oil is too hot, the falafel will burn on the outside before they can cook through to the inside.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Falafel are best while still crispy right out of the fryer.
- Do not use canned chickpeas for falafel. It’s important to use dried chickpeas for the best texture. Canned chickpeas are too soft and will not form into balls properly, and likely will not hold up well when fried in oil. Take the time to soak your dried chickpeas for 18-24 hours, I promise it’s worth it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ball | Calories: 44cal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
