12 Jun Crispy and Delicate Deep-Fried Falafel

Since the weather is getting hotter and hotter every day, I started to crave more simple veggie dishes to include in my diet. I thought about something with Mediterranean vibes like hummus and Greek salad but wanted to add something a bit more substantial to my vegetarian meal. It didn’t take me a lot of time to figure out that nothing can be better with hummus than crispy homemade falafel. It’s easy to make, delicious, and look so beautiful on a plate!

As I mentioned before, falafel is a straightforward dish that doesn’t require any special cooking skills. Even a newbie can make it if follows the instructions. There are only two essential things that can get you off the road, and they are texture and oil temperature. First and foremost, do not process your chickpea mixture into a smooth paste or the falafel will be very dense when fried. Make sure it has a coarse texture, and you can still see some small bits and pieces. Secondly, before dropping falafel into the oil, make sure the oil is scalding. The optimal temperature is 330 F – 340 F. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, you cant test the oil by putting a half teaspoon of falafel mix in the hot oil – when it starts to bubble up and float, you’re all set and ready to go. Also, I always use my small heavy bottom saucepan to fry falafel. This way, I waste less oil, and it’s much easier to work with small batches. Try this method and let me know your thoughts!

Lastly, I usually serve my falafel drizzled with tahini lemon dressing or sprinkled with sesame seeds, but this decision is entirely up to you! Enjoy.

My One and Only Falafel Recipe

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Ingredients

  

• 1/2 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro roughly chopped
• 1/2 small bunch fresh parsley
• 1 cup dried chickpea soaked overnight
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

 

• Pulse onion, garlic, cilantro, and parsley in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until coarsely chopped. About 30-60 seconds.
• Add the chickpeas and pulse again. Make sure to scrape the sides to get even-sized bits. The mixture should be coarse, but uniform. Do not overwork it, or the falafel will be too dense!
• Transfer the chickpea mixture into a big bowl add the flour, sesame seeds, add salt, baking powder, and ground cardamom and cumin. Mix everything together.
• Shape the falafel into small size balls. It will be easier to do with slightly wet hands.
• In a deep saucepan preheat the oil to 340F. You need to fry the falafel in deep oil, so they will be entirely covered.
• Working in batches, cook falafel, turning occasionally, until deep brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer to paper towels; let sit for a few minutes before serving.