DIY Falafel
DIY Falafel
I’ve always loved Mediterranean food, especially falafel and baba ganoush, but I’ve never made more than falafel from a box.
Recently, I had a great falafel sandwich with pickles, lettuce, tomato and cucumber at a local restaurant, and was inspired to see if I could make it at home. This recipe, adapted from The Mediterranean Dish is time consuming, but it makes so many and you can freeze them for frying later.
Considering this was my first try from scratch and they did not fall apart (as some mentioned in recipe’s comments), suggests this recipe is really SUPER.
Considering this was my first try from scratch and they did not fall apart (as some mentioned in recipe’s comments), suggests this recipe is really SUPER.My falafels turned out moist and chewy inside, crispy on the outside and boldly flavorful. They retained their shape wonderfully. I think this is due to the fact I used an entire onion, which added moisture to the mix (it was slightly glossy once the patties were formed) and I did a very fine chop in the food processor.
I will totally make these again, especially for larger gatherings.
For frying, I used a traditional Chinese wok made of carbon steel. I could fry 4 falafel at a time.
DIY FALAFEL (makes 25-30)
INGREDIENTS
1 lb bag (16 oz) dried chickpeas (I used Goya) soaked in 1/2 TSP baking soda water to soften
10 garlic cloves
1 small red onion, sliced
1 rounded TBSP each: ground pepper, coriander, cumin
1 large handful each: parsley, cilantro
1 TSP salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Optional – 1/2 handful mint might be interesting in the falafel, or less later as a garnish (I haven’t tried this)
Optional – pickles, radishes, greens
DIRECTIONS
Soak the chickpeas in a large bowl of baking soda + water overnight. They will double in size. Rinse thoroughly and drain well after 24 hours.
Pulse all ingredients in large capacity food processor. If you have a smaller one like me, be prepared to do it in batches.
I did 3/4 of the chickpeas very fine, near purée. Then the remaining 1/4 as a coarser chop. Incorporate. The mixture already held its shape due to the fine chop.
Set aside in freezer for 5-10 min if you’re in a hurry, or for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Form into any shape – I like an egg shape even though it is not traditional – and fry in medium-high oil. Test the oil first with a small ball to confirm that it bubbles when falafel is carefully spooned in.
Note: I use a traditional Chinese wok to fry because I like the carbon steel and the deeper bottom.
After 1-2 min the underside will be golden to medium brown and the top still green. Turn and fry for another 1-2 min.
Remove and place on paper towel.
Stuff a warm pita with basically anything you want! I used diced cucumber, tomatoes and radish. Add falafel and tahini. Enjoy!
For Tahini sauce, I bought straight Tahini and blended 1/4 C tahini with 2-3 garlic cloves, pinch of salt, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tsp water.
Enjoy!!! A lot of work but so worth it!
Namaste, Catherine & Satya
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Catherine Tingey
Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 33 years and teaching privately for 13 years.
About the Author
Catherine Tingey+ Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 33 years and teaching privately for 13 years.
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