Traditional Middle Eastern crispy falafel is made with ground chickpeas, herbs, and spices. Naturally vegan, vegetarian, and gluten- and dairy-free, falafel is perfect in wraps, pitas, and salads. It can be baked or fried, depending on your preference.
I'm embarrassed to admit this, but the first time I tried falafel I did not like it at all.
Hold on a second. Why in the world would I start my falafel recipe with a sentence like that, you ask? Well, I guess you'll just have to keep reading!
The first time I tried falafel it was at a mall food court from a crappy fast food gyro restaurant (you know the kind). The falafel was soggy and the flavor just felt off. Barf. So not a fan.
But, I can't say that a mall food court is a great way to be introduced to a new food.
Fast forward to when we traveled to the Middle East several years later. I'll admit, I was a little hesitant to give falafel another go after my first experience, but my goodness, I am sure glad I did! The true authentic falafel I tried from a street vendor in Israel blew that crappy American stuff right out of the water. This falafel was freshly baked, crispy on the outside and full of flavor! The way good falafel should be.
Since trying falafel abroad, I've been dying to make it. So here we are!
You'll be impressed with how easy it is to make. You basically just whir all of the ingredients in a blender, shape the mixture into balls, and then fry it or bake it and voila! So so easy!
If you like this recipe, you'll also want to try my other Middle Eastern inspired recipes!
More Middle Eastern Recipes
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PrintCrispy Falafel
Traditional Middle Eastern crispy falafel is made with ground chickpeas, herbs, and spices. Naturally vegan and vegetarian, falafel is perfect in wraps, pitas, and salads. It can be baked or fried, depending on your preference.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 35 pieces 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Fried or Baked
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ½ bunch parsley, chopped
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons chickpea flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Add chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, and garlic to blender. Pulse until well-blende. Stir in cumin, salt, coriander, pepper, chickpea flour and baking powder.
- Refrigerate mixture for 2-3 hours. Using a cookie scoop, form mixture into balls. Add more flour if necessary if mixture is too sticky.
Fried Version:
- Add oil to a sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350F.
- Working in batches, add falafel to the pan turning until it has reached a golden brown color and is crispy in texture. Let cool on a paper towel lined plate. Serve hot.
Baked Version:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place falafel balls on baking sheet and bake falafel for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are calculated based on baking the falafel. Frying the falafel will increase the caloric intake.
Keywords: chickpeas, falafel
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