Crispy, Authentic Falafels

Falafel is a deep-fried delicacy in the middle eastern cuisine which has now become super popular and loved by people worldwide.

Being so easy to make, and by using fresh herbs and spices, you would have yourself a plate of delicious, crispy, flavourful falafels, which I’m sure you’ll love munching on.

It is perfect to eat with Hummus or a Tzatziki sauce which I personally love. However, when I don’t have much time to whip up any of them, I make a quick dip just by mixing grated cucumber, tahini and yoghurt together with some salt and it tastes just as amazing.

You can also add them in sandwiches or wraps made with fresh pita bread.  They make for the perfect appetizer or a side dish which you are bound to fall in love with and it’s pretty filling too.

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Crispy, Authentic Falafels

Recipe by Aysha Saiha Course: AppetizersCuisine: Middle EasternDifficulty: Easy

Servings

15-20

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

35

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried garbanzo beans/chickpeas (soaked overnight)

• 1/2 cup onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 Tsp cumin powder

• 1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/2 Tsp ground coriander powder

• 1/4 Tsp baking soda

• 1 heaped Tbsp all-purpose flour

• 1 Tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 Tsp salt, or to taste

• 2 Tsp lemon juice

Directions

• After soaking the dried garbanzo beans in water for about 12-24 hours, it will almost triple in size. Drain them well before the next step.
• Get a food processor and add in all the ingredients together. Pulse it for a couple minutes or until you get a batter that resembles coarse sand.
• Transfer the batter in another bowl, cover it with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
• After it has been rested for 1-2 hours, make balls or patties out of it.
• Heat a deep frying pan with oil at a medium-high flame and fry the falafel balls until they get golden brown on all sides and they are ready to be eaten.
• Enjoy with your choice of dip and bread.

Notes

• For a baked version of this, make your falafel into patties and put them on an olive-oil greased baking pan. Coat the falafels with a bit of olive oil on top as well and bake in a 180 degree C oven.
  Flip them after 10 minutes on one side and bake for an additional 10 mins until both the sides become golden brown.