Homemade Falafel

Homemade Falafel  that’s brown and crisp on the outside, and warm and soft on the inside. This recipe is so easy to make at home! It’s perfect served in a Pita wrap with vegetables and homemade Tahini sauce.

Falafel. My husband’s obsession. Honestly, I didn’t even know what falafel was until I met him. In fact, I still find them to be a bit mysterious. They’re just these delicious balls of, deliciousness? Alright, uh, let me try to explain that better.

Ingredients

• Chickpeas (Dried, not canned.)
• Diced Onions
• Cumin
• Vegetable Oil
• Roasted Garlic
• Cayenne Pepper
• Flour
• Ground Coriander
• Parsley
• Salt/Pepper

What Is Falafel

Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty made from a chickpea and/or fava bean mixture. It is usually drizzled with tahini sauce and served in a pita, but can also be served over a salad or alone as a snack.

Can You Bake Falafel

• While falafel is generally deep fried, it can also be baked at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes on each side.
• Pressing the balls down into patties makes for a crisper outer crust as there is more surface area on the baking sheet.
• Be sure to grease the baking sheet with olive oil beforehand, and brush the top of the falafel with oil prior to baking as well.

Can You Reheat Falafel

Reheated falafel tastes great! Simply store your leftover falafel in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.

To reheat, bake in a 225 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Where to Find Tahini Sauce

If you don’t care to make homemade tahini sauce, you can usually find it in larger groceries stores where the condiments are. Look near the olives. If you don’t have luck there, see if they have a designated section for ethnic foods. You can also use Greek or Tahini salad dressing!

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Homemade Falafel

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Refrigeration: 1 hour

Total Time: 45 minutes

5 from 2 ratings

Servings: 4

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These homemade Falafels are easy to make at home and so flavorful. They're perfect stuffed in a Pita wrap with vegetables and homemade Tahini sauce.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Falafel:

• ▢ 8 oz. dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons flour
• ▢ 5 Tablespoons water, or chicken broth
• ▢ 1/2 small onion, diced
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon roasted garlic, minced
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoons cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1 quart Vegetable oil for frying, (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil also work well)

Homemade Tahini Sauce:

• ▢ 1 cup Tahini sesame seed paste, typically near the hummus
• ▢ ¾ cup lukewarm water, or more for consistency
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons roasted garlic
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced

To serve:

• ▢ 4 pita wraps

Instructions

• Note: Be sure to remember to soak your dried chickpeas in plenty of cold water for 12-24 hours. Don't use canned chickpeas as they won't hold up when cooked in this recipe.

Falafel:

• Drain the chickpeas and add them to a food processor along with remaining falafel ingredients. Blend until just combined, scraping the sides down back into the mixture occasionally. You may need to do this in batches. Don't over-mix as you want to maintain a firm mixture. 
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. (Overnight works too.)
• Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out balls of equal size and place them on a baking sheet or large cutting board. Use the back of a spoon to press the balls down to form patties. They will be soft, this is expected. 
• Fill a skillet (preferably cast iron) with enough oil to cover about a quarter of the falafel. Preheat over medium-high heat.
• Once the oil is heated, carefully place a test falafel into the oil, to ensure the temperature is right. The oil should be around 350-375 degrees and the falafel should begin to bubble almost immediately, but not too intensely.
• Fry the falafel in batches of 4, keeping the rest in the freezer until ready to be fried. Fry the first side for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds. Use a slotted spatula to carefully loosen it from the bottom and flip it. 
• Fry for another minute or until the reverse side is brown and crisp. Remove from the pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
• Serve in a pita pocket, drizzle with tahini sauce, and add your favorite additions. (Lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, onions, cucumbers, avocados, Feta, etc.)

Tahini Sauce:

• Blend ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency is reached. I added about 1/4 cup additional water in mine.

Notes

• If the falafel has trouble sticking together, try mixing in about 3 Tablespoons of flour. If you’re still having issues, add 1-2 eggs into the mixture. I didn’t have to use any of these tactics.
• Instead of tahini sauce, you can also try Tahini or Greek salad dressing!

 

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1630mg, Potassium: 360mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 80IU, Vitamin C: 4.5mg, Calcium: 129mg, Iron: 3.5mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Author: Stephanie