Falafel
Falafel, a classic Middle Eastern recipe, made with chickpeas. They are crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside, and they contain lots of protein!
Servings: 18 falafels
Calories: 18kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans soaked overnight
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ onion chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda optional
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander optional
- Dash of red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoon flour any kind will do
Instructions
- Wash and drain the chickpeas and add them to a food processor or a powerful blender with all the remaining ingredients. Blend until it looks like a coarse paste.
- You can cook the falafel immediately, but it tastes better if you transfer the mixture to a large bowl and keep it covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Make about 18 small disks or balls with your hands.
- If you're going to bake your falafel disks or balls, preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC and place them onto a lined baking sheet and bake them for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, flipping once at the halfway point for even cooking.
- If you're going to fry your falafel disks or balls, heat some oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. Carefully transfer 4-5 falafel disks or balls to the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with all the remaining falafel disks or balls and add more oil if needed.
- Serve immediately or keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- I suggest you make this recipe with raw chickpeas and that you soak them in water overnight. You'll just have to cook the chickpeas later.
- You can add all the spices and herbs you want to.
- Use any type of flour. Chickpea flour and oat flour work really well for this recipe.
- Flour isn't essential, but it'll give the falafel a better consistency and it won't get stuck on your hands while making the balls or disks.
- If you don't want to use flour, you can simply cover your hands with it so shaping the falafels is easier.
- You don't need to add both parsley and cilantro; feel free to use only one of them.
- If you're not into spicy food, omit the red pepper flakes.
- Nutritional info has been calculated for baked falafel.
Nutrition
Serving: 1falafel | Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.2g | Protein: 0.9g | Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 187mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 0.2g