Falafel – Lil Lil Lil
by munatycooking • 14/09/2011 • Breakfast, Home, Starters • 19 Comments
Last night I watched a program where they showed a diner located in one of the States, their specialty was Falafel. The host, who was a Chef too, tried to get the secret ingredients from those Falafel guys but couldn’t.
As far as I know there is no secret ingredient in falafel, it’s a very straight forward recipe, but there is something most people may not be aware of. There are three types of falafel, one is made by chickpeas only, the other by fava beans, and the third one is made by the mixture of both chickpeas and fava beans.
Oh yeah, there is A secret about falafel, they are quite addictive :0)
The falafel I’m sharing with you today are made using chickpeas and stays crunchy for long time. Enjoy it!
Ingredients:
1 cup chickpeas (uncooked)
1 medium onion
4 spring onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Soak chickpeas in hot water for 13 hours.
- They will double in size.
- In a food processor add the chickpeas and process. Do not over do it, you should get a breadcrumbs like mixture.
- Remove the chickpeas and add the onion, green onion, garlic, parsley, two tablespoons from the previously made chickpeas crumbs, and process, you should get a fine mixture.
- Add the onion and parsley mixture to the chickpeas, add the spices, sesame, baking powder, baking soda, and mix. Do not over mix, 8 seconds of mixing is perfect.
- You should be able to make a round ball with the mixture, if the mixture is too dry add one tablespoon of water at a time and mix again.
- In a deep frying pan add vegetable oil, when the oil is hot, gently and by using a spoon drop the falafel balls one by one.
- After dropping the falafel in oil, turn the heat to medium. These falafel will take about 4 – 5 minutes and you are done.
This sandwich is dedicated to Leyla Hur, Fiona Dodwell, and Wilma Halfwerk. You guys are not only kind but managed to be amazing too!
You are awesome Muna! Thank you SO much! I am just helping a friend adjust her recipe for falafel and I am going to go ahead and share your recipe with her.
BIG hugs!
XOs
OMG its my favorite. I learnt to make this from a friend in Sudan. Love..leve this so much with pocket pita bread… I should try you recipe. looks. simple…but I hate to soak and grind chickpeas, is it possible to used the boiled chickpea. Any short cut for this.
@Leyla, You are welcome dear. Please give it a try, it’s my family’s favorite breakfast.
@Paty, I wish there was a short cut, but using cooked chickpeas will not work, it won’t be crunchy or carry the same taste. But what you can do is make a batch of it and freeze it, add the baking soda and baking powder only after defrosting it. This should save time
Oh Muna that looks fantastic, I don’t think that I’ve tried this before, but looks and sounds simple enough…I can see why they are addictive, I wouldn’t stop until I finish whole plate
) Oh and thanks for step by stem photos, they are very helpful!
You’re most welcome Sandra
Those look sooo good! I love felafels. Now, I’m cravel pita pockets stuffed with those lovely babies… ;-P
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa, I hope you like them
This is awesome thanks a lot for the recipe.
These looks like vadai which I am familiar except in a different shape. I will add lots of dried chilli if I make this. Look very delicious!
These look simply awesome. I wish I had some right now!
Thanks guys for the warm comments
Oh my, these falafels look mouthwatering!! I am a big fan of them, but have never tried to make them before. It’s highly time to change that
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
You are most welcome Tanja, hope you try it and enjoy it!
I like falafels, but have never tried making them myself! These look yummy! Just wondering, do you have to remove the skins before you process them? That’s always what irks me about making my own hummus. After I cook the chickpeas I will spend such a long time trying to remove most of the transparent skin layer. Grrrr, the rest of the process is so easy though!
Hi Shu, I have a good news for you, you do not have to remove the skin off the chickpeas
I never removed it in my life. I don’t even do that when making Hummus!
Hi.
Can I fry these in a frying pan instead of deep frying?
Thank you.
I haven’t pan fried them before. I think deep frying prevent them from breaking!
These were awesome!! My hubby has never had falafel before and loved it! Thanks!!
@Jen I love it when I receive such feedback, I’m glad that your husband enjoyed it