Crispy Falafel

The key to making really crispy falafel is using dried chickpeas that have been soaked for at least 12 hours. Stay away from canned chickpeas because they are cooked and won't hold shape. Combined with herbs, garlic, onion, chillies and spices, falafels are a flavour bomb!

Course Snacks & Appetizers

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 152kcal

Author Richa

Ingredients

1 Cup Chickpeas Bengal Gram, soaked overnight in water
2 small Onions peeled and quartered
8 Cloves Garlic peeled
2-3 Green Chillies or serrano peppers
1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
25 Grams Coriander approximately ½ Cup
15 Grams Mint Leaves approximately ¼ Cup
1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
Oil for Frying approximate 1 ½ cups

Instructions

Grind together chickpeas, onions, garlic, green chillies, sesame seeds, cumin powder, coriander and mint leaves together in a food processor until grainy. Do not make it a fully smooth mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add salt, all purpose flour, baking powder and sesame seeds. Mix to combine.
Refrigerate this for 30 minutes. Use this mixture to make approximately 20-22 lime sized balls. Set aside for frying.
Set up a kadai or pot with one and half inch oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot (160C-175C), drop in the balls one by one and fry on medium flame or until golden brown. Turn them halfway to ensure they cooks evenly. Use a skimmer to remove from the oil once cooked and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Serve hot along with Hummus and Pita!

Video

Notes

Make sure to use dried chickpeas only and soak them for at least 12 hours to achieve the perfect crumbly, coarse texture. Uncooked or dried chickpeas prevent your falafel from becoming too mushy or breaking apart while frying.
When grinding the chickpea mixture, remember to keep the texture slightly coarse or grainy and not creamy. This helps the falafel hold shape when deep fried.
Allow the mixture to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight before frying them. Apart from preventing the falafels from breaking open, it also ensures that the flavour from herbs and spices has a chance to properly develop.
Baking powder is an important ingredient that helps to make the falafels fluffy. You can replace it with baking soda, but I don’t recommend it as it adds a slight metallic taste to the dish.
Always Fry the falafels on a medium heat to make sure they brown evenly and are properly cooked from the inside.

Nutrition