Falafel

About This Recipe

Falafel are Lebanese fried chickpea patties — made from dried chickpeas (not canned), mixed with herbs, spices, and flour, then deep-fried until golden and crispy outside with a bright green, slightly creamy center. Eaten in sandwiches with tahini sauce or as part of mezze, falafel is Lebanon's street food treasure and represents the best of vegetarian Lebanese cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 2 cupsdried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cupfresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cupfresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cupgreen onion, chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 tbspground cumin
• 1 tbspground coriander
• 1/2 tspcayenne pepper
• 1/2 cupflour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspsalt
• oil for frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Drain and dry

   Soak chickpeas overnight, drain well, and pat completely dry.

2. 2

   Process

   Pulse chickpeas in a food processor with herbs, garlic, and spices until coarse meal consistency (not paste).

3. 3

   Bind

   Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Pulse until mixture holds together when squeezed.

4. 4

   Shape and fry

   Form into patties. Fry at 170°C until deep golden, about 4–5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve in pita with tahini sauce, lettuce, and tomato.

Variations

• •

  Add spicy harissa for heat.

• •

  Bake instead of fry for a lighter version.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked falafel up to 3 days. Reheat by frying.

Frequently Asked Questions