Vegetarian

Crispy Falafel

Name: Crispy Falafel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: about 16 falafel
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 250 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained, not canned; 1 small onion, roughly chopped; 3 cloves garlic; 1 cup fresh parsley; 1/2 cups fresh cilantro; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1/2 tsp baking powder; salt and pepper to taste; oil for frying; pita bread; tahini sauce; sliced vegetables

Herbed chickpea patties, fried until deeply golden and crisp.

Vegetarian Vegan Dairy-Free

Crispy falafel balls served with tahini sauce and pita — The inside should stay a vivid green -- that's the fresh herbs, not food coloring.

Prep20 min

Cook15 min

Total1 hr 5 min

Servings 4 servings

DifficultyMedium

Dried chickpeas soaked and blitzed with herbs and spices, then fried until the outside shatters and the inside stays tender.

Ingredients

250 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained, not canned
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cups fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

To serve

pita bread
tahini sauce
sliced vegetables

Instructions

Combine the soaked chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, and coriander in a food processor.
Dried, soaked chickpeas hold together when fried -- canned chickpeas are too wet and the falafel falls apart in the oil.
Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed -- the mixture should look like coarse sand, not paste.
Transfer to a bowl, stir in the baking powder, salt, and pepper, and refrigerate. 30 min
Shape the mixture into small balls or patties.
Heat oil to 175C (350F) and fry the falafel in batches until deeply golden. 5 min
Drain on paper towels and serve warm in pita with tahini sauce and vegetables.

Notes

The overnight soak is essential -- dried chickpeas need at least 12 hours in water before blending.
Baked falafel (200C/400F for 25 minutes) works as a lighter alternative but loses some crispness.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (4 falafel) -- estimated, not lab-tested.
Nutrient	Amount
Calories	280 kcal
Total Fat	10 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Carbohydrates	36 g
Fiber	9 g
Sugar	5 g
Protein	12 g
Sodium	380 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredient data, not laboratory analysis.

Photo: EvanProdromou, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 3:2 and re-encoded as WebP/JPEG for web delivery.