The last time I made falafel was for a family dinner night. My dad kept calling them “matzo balls” which I thought was funny.
Falafel is a little bit time consuming but SOOOO worth the effort. This is a great recipe to impress your significant other or your next dinner party guests—if they like food that’s awesome.
This falafel recipe with make around 25 balls, so you can easily serve 4-6 people for dinner.
In a food processor, blend up the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro into a thick paste. I had to do this in two batches since my food processor couldn’t handle this entire recipe all at once.
You’ll also notice there is no liquid added, which makes it rather hard to blend. Keep at it and don’t add water no matter what! Adding water will likely result in falafel that won’t hold together during the frying process.
Once you’ve blended everything into a paste, spoon it into a large bowl and add the salt, baking powder, flour and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours. If you’re in a time crunch you can place it in the freezer for an hour instead. But don’t skip this rest period, because it will result in falafel that falls apart when fried.
In the meantime, make your dressing by combining 2 cups greek yogurt, 1/2 large cucumber (finely chopped) and 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.
Stir together and allow to set for at least 30-45 minutes before serving so the flavors and blend together.
In a deep fryer or large, heavy pot, heat enough oil for the falafel float. You want the oil temperature to reach around 350°F. You can use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature or you can test it by dropping a little batter in.
It should start to bubble/fizzle and the batter should float after a few seconds. Once the oil is ready, drop small balls of the falafel batter in and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels, to remove excess oil.
Serve with pita bread, lettuce, more cucumbers, tomatoes (unless you forget to buy any) and the dressing. These are best served warm the day they are made.
If you have leftovers you can try warming them up in the oven the next day. But like most fried foods, they are best served “fresh.” 🙂
Enjoy these!!!! xo. Emma
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Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas (drained)
- 1 small red onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup parsley (fresh)
- ¼ cup cilantro (fresh)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup flour
- a sprinkle of black pepper
For the sauce
- 2 cups greek yogurt
- ½ cucumber
- ½ tablespoon dill (chopped)
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend up the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro into a thick paste. I had to do this in two batches since my food processor couldn't handle this entire recipe all at once. You'll also notice there is no liquid added, which makes it rather hard to blend. Keep at it and don't add water no matter what! Adding water will likely result in falafel that won't hold together during the frying process.
- Once you've blended everything into a paste, spoon it into a large bowl and add the salt, baking powder, flour and pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours. If you're in a time crunch you can place it in the freezer for an hour instead. But don't skip this rest period, because it will result in falafel that falls apart when fried.
- In the meantime, make your dressing. Stir together the ingredients in a small bowl and allow to set for at least 30-45 minutes before serving so the flavors and blend together.
- In a deep fryer or large, heavy pot heat enough oil for the falafel float. You want the oil temperature to reach around 350°F. You can use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature or you can test it by dropping a little batter in. It should start to bubble/fizzle and the batter should float after a few seconds. Once the oil is ready, drop small balls of the falafel batter in and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels, to remove excess oil.
So far this has been the best falafel recipe! We have tied quite a few and those never really help up when frying. We had to use dried chickpeas. We just soaked them in water drained then blended with the other ingredients. We did use chickpea flour instead of AP. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. We were so pleased with the flavor and texture.
These are so good. The ONLY downside is all the oil required. I tried to save the oil in the fridge for the next batch but they fell apart when frying. The oil was to temperature. Not sure what that is about. Any thoughts?
Just a question, is 2 teaspoons of salt correct?? It tastes waaaaaaaaaaaay too salty so I added another can of chickpeas and it’s still too salty!! I think I may have to throw it all away! I’m so pissed!
Yes, two teaspoons is what I use. Are you sure you’re using teaspoons and not tablespoons? Two tablespoons would be way too much so I’m just wondering if that’s the issue.
Do you drain the can of chickpeas????????????
Yep! 🙂
Hi. I was wondering if these would work in the oven for a healthy option. If so please let me know.
Thanks
Amy
I froze mine for an hour and they fell apart in the pan. Yikes! Next time, I’ll let put them in the fridge for 2 hours…
Looks fabulous! Do you think this recipe would translate well to baking instead of frying?
We made these and loved them! I just posted abut them with a few links back to your site. Check it out! http://www.mostlyfoodandcrafts.com/2013/04/homemade-falafels-and-tzatziki.html
I totally made these for dinner last week! They were a huge hit, and a much needed but tasty injection of fresh ingredients my family needed, and was a great to be able to give my mum a break from cooking for the night – thank you Emma!
To others trying this, heed the warning about letting them rest – my first attempt fell to pieces because I was rushed for time, but making up a second batch and leaving them for the next night proved a good solution.
Yuuuuummmmmm…..
Good Morning! I wanted to let you know that I featured this delicious recipe in my weekly bookmark list – stop by and check it out!
Followed this recipe but wasn’t sure which type of flour to use, went with plain flour and it worked a treat. Absolutely delicious! Made them 3 nights in a row and one of those was a dinner party. Everybody loved them. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I actually tried this recipe yesterday, and it was AMAZING!
Check out how it turned out at my blog!
http://www.fancyalterego.wordpress.com
OMG – my mouth is WATERING. Looks so delicious. Must pin and try this recipe.
I just made them today – added some black sesame and chives. But it’s soooo delicious!
lovely greetings from Germany!
Jenny
When I make falafels I soak dried chickpeas over night. Then blend them with spices to make falafel mix. You don’t need to cook them. They result in a great texture. I don’t add any water, but do add a few glugs of olive oil. They always hold together.
My mouth is watering!! What a perfect spring lunch!!
www.foundafeather.com
Thank you! Now I can satisfy my desire to eat falafel here in Brazil where it is basically nonexistant!
OMGosh I LOVE falafel. Deeeeelicious. Thank you can’t wait to make these for supper one weekend 😉
these look so good! i can’t wait to try them, but first i’ll need to get a food processor!
Maggie
lovestylehappiness.blogspot.com
When I lived in Barcelona there was a fabulous hole-in-the-wall shop that sold the most delicious falafel. In the states I haven’t been able to find a place that I love. I pinned this recipe,- so here’s to wishing I love it!
xx Kait
ChickadeeSays