Falafel
Homemade falafel! Lovely deep-fried balls made with chickpeas or fava beans.
| Servings | 4 Portions |
| Tags | Budget | Main Course | Middle Eastern | Vegetarian | Vegitables |
| Prep Time | 10 min |
| Rest Time | 1440 min |
| Cook Time | 30 min |
Falafel are deep-fried balls made from chickpeas or fava beans. It is a dish that originates from the Middle East and is often served in pita bread or with salads or vegetables. My personal favorite is the one I show here - liba bread, salad, tomatoes, red onion and a simple sauce made of aioli and yogurt. The sauce can be made stronger with a good chili sauce or sambal oelek. To me, this is a classic falafel roll, but it is only the imagination that sets the limits on which accessories you want to use.
It's pretty easy to make falafel but there are a few things to keep in mind. I tried to make some similar recipes using ready-cooked chickpeas to make it go faster, but it did not turn out well at all. They fell apart quite easily and made a bit of a mess, so choose dried chickpeas and plan for them to be soaked in water with a tablespoon of baking powder for about 24 hours (at least 10 hours). Another thing to keep in mind is to mix the chickpeas to the right consistency. It first becomes crumbly in the food processor, but continue to mix until the chickpeas are more of a batter before the rest of the ingredients are added.
I use a fryer which makes it a lot easier. I use rapeseed oil in it, but it works well with a combination of sunflower oil as well. An alternative to a fryer is to use a deep frying pan or wok, but make sure to measure the temperature so the oil ends up around 180°C - 185°C for best results.
To shape the balls, there are falafel tools that can be found in various stores and of course online. For my part, I think it works just as well to roll with your hands, but if you do larger amounts often, it may be worth investing in.
Note that the nutritional value is calculated on the ingredients and does not include the oil that is added during frying.
Ingredients
Directions
- Soak the dried chickpeas in water and add 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Leave them for at least 10-12 hours, preferably 24 hours.
- Strain off the water and rinse the chickpeas before they end up in the food processor.
- Mix the chickpeas in a food processor until they become a batter. It takes a few minutes and they are like crumbs first. Scrape the inside of the food processor at regular intervals.
- Add the other ingredients and mix well for a few minutes. Open the food processor and scrape the inside a few times so that everything is mixed into a smooth batter.
- Let the batter rest in the fridge for about 60 minutes. You could cover the batter with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for a few hours.
- Shape into small balls and place on a plate while the fryer rises to temperature. I usually count on 8 balls per person so this recipe will be about 32 balls.
- Fry at 180°C - 185°C until nicely colored. Expect it to take 2-3 minutes.
- Let the balls drain on kitchen paper for a few minutes.
- Serve with pita or liba bread, salad, vegetables and some tasty sauce.
Nutrition Facts*
| Total | Serving | 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 955.04 kcal | 238.76 kcal | 254 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 110.39 g | 27.6 g | 29.36 g |
| Fat | 18.46 g | 4.62 g | 4.91 g |
| Protein | 59.07 g | 14.77 g | 15.71 g |
| Sugar | 7.29 g | 1.82 g | 1.94 g |
| Salt | 12.9 g | 3.22 g | 3.43 g |
* The nutritional information provided is approximated and calculated using the ingredients available in the database. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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Drygast
Foodie, amateur cook, software developer, dog owner and generic old guy.
