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Chef John's Falafel

Falafel are deliciously crispy deep-fried fritters made with chickpeas that are rarely attempted at home but are actually very simple to make. Even a relative novice like me can get some very decent results. You do need to know you're going to have a craving for falafel a full day before you actually want to eat it so you can soak the chickpeas. Serve with my tahini or tzatziki sauce and pita bread.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 hours 30 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine middle eastern
Servings 6 people
Calories 1297 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Food Processor
  • 1 Deep Pot or Deep Fryer For safe and efficient deep-frying.
  • 1 Kitchen Thermometer Essential for monitoring oil temperature accurately.
  • 1 Slotted Spoon or Spider For safely removing falafel from hot oil.
  • 1 Wire Rack For draining excess oil from fried falafel.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 cup dry garbanzo beans
  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • oil for frying

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Allrecipes / Christine Ma
  • Place dried chickpeas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 12 to 24 hours. Drain. Allrecipes / Christine Ma
  • Blend chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic, flour, lemon juice, salt, cumin, coriander, baking soda, and cayenne pepper together in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until mixture is finely ground and holds together when pressed. Allrecipes / Christine Ma
  • Transfer falafel mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until flavors blend, 1 to 2 hours. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Allrecipes / Christine Ma
  • Divide falafel mixture into 12 portions and roll each with moistened hands to form a ball. Allrecipes / Christine Ma
  • Working in batches, cook falafel balls in hot oil until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to drain. Allrecipes / Christine Ma

Notes

Achieving the perfect falafel texture hinges on using dried chickpeas, thoroughly soaked (12-24 hours) but never cooked prior to blending; canned chickpeas will yield a mushy result. When processing, aim for a finely ground, slightly coarse texture, not a smooth paste, which contributes to its signature interior. The baking soda is vital for a lighter, fluffier interior. Maintain your frying oil precisely at 350°F (175°C); too low leads to greasy falafel, too high results in burnt exteriors and raw interiors. Don't overcrowd the pot, which drops oil temperature. The resting period for the mixture allows flavors to meld and improves binding. For an extra pop, consider adding a pinch of dried mint or sumac to the mixture.