My Mom’s Award Winning Delicious Falafel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

My Mom’s Award Winning Delicious Falafel Recipe? ›

They have to have enough fresh herbs and onion. Too much onion and your falafel will have a bad after taste. Too little and they won't be as moist and fluffy as they should be. It's all about balance.

They have to have enough fresh herbs and onion. Too much onion and your falafel will have a bad after taste. Too little and they won't be as moist and fluffy as they should be. It's all about balance.

Dried chickpeas (that have been soaked in water for 24 hours) are an important ingredient that will give your falafel the right consistency and taste. (Tip: I usually add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking water to help soften the dry chickpeas.)

Canned chickpeas do not work for falafel. They're far too wet. If you try to use canned chickpeas instead of dried and soaked chickpeas, you'll end up with sad falafel pancakes. Some recipes try to counteract the wetness by adding flour, which significantly dulls the flavor and makes the texture more doughy.

The chickpeas should be tender enough to break apart with your fingers, but still have a bite to them. While the chickpeas soak, you can make tzatziki, chop tomatoes and lettuce, and assemble the other falafel ingredients.

If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them.

Greek Garden Organic olive oil is smooth and well-balanced with a light finish to enhance the flavors of dishes such as hummus, Tzatziki and falafel. Using olive oil is a healthier option for frying, as it creates a thick crust that stops the oil from being absorbed into the food.

Its the deep frying in oil that should cook the beans. The moisture in the pre cooked beans make the falafels soggy and fall apart whereas frying the uncooked chickpeas makes them crispier.

Researchers have found that falafel has many health benefits. It is high in fibre as it contains vegetables, legumes (beans, chickpeas, or almonds), and olive oil, all of which can help people stay healthy and maintain an optimal weight while reducing their risk of diabetes, heart disease, and blood pressure.

To help out, I often stir a little flour into the mixture along with some baking powder — the flour binds the falafel together while the baking powder helps keep them from being too dense. Resting the mixture overnight before baking the patties also helps them hold together a little better.

Should chickpeas be boiled for falafel? ›

If you cook those dried chickpeas before making falafel, you run into the same issues you find with canned—they just don't bind. The key to great falafel is to soak the dried chickpeas, but grind them while they're still completely raw.

What Is It? Aquafaba is the thick liquid that results from soaking or cooking legumes, such as chickpeas, in water for an extended period of time. It's the translucent viscous goop you probably rinse down the drain when you open a can of chickpeas.

Classic, plain hummus is my go-to dip here, but roasted red pepper hummus or avocado hummus are also great options. Add a salad. Tabouli, fattoush salad, and shriazi salad go well with falafel, but nearly any fresh green salad with a light olive oil dressing will work. Don't forget the olives and pickles!

Just be sure you don't overwork the falafel batter. Handle it as little as possible and use a scoop to form the balls and drop them into the oil. Specialty shops actually sell a falafel former but a cookie scoop will work just fine. Otherwise, you might end up with hard, dense nuggets instead of a crispy, airy bite.

If you forget, you can simply start the cooking process, but expect them to take longer to cook than if you had soaked them first. It can take up to twice the time if you don't soak them first. The reason most people prefer to soak beans is: Soaking makes the beans cook faster.

Just be sure you don't overwork the falafel batter. Handle it as little as possible and use a scoop to form the balls and drop them into the oil. Specialty shops actually sell a falafel former but a cookie scoop will work just fine. Otherwise, you might end up with hard, dense nuggets instead of a crispy, airy bite.

Try to grind canned chickpeas, form them into balls, and deep-fry them, and they completely fall apart in the oil. The common solution for this type of recipe is to add some extra starch in the form of flour. By solving one problem, you create a brand-new one.

A perfect falafel is the one that has a crispy exterior and a chunky interior. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you achieve the best results and make falafels like a pro. What beans to use ? You can make falafel with chickpeas or fava beans, or from a mixture of both chickpeas and fava beans.

Pan-fry the falafel patties, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Make-ahead falafel mix: You can store the falafel mix in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.