Falafel

Fatima Sadal - Chef on Rhine

The best authentic falafel recipe you can make at home using dried chickpeas, fresh herbs and some basic spices! They are crispy from outside, soft from inside and super delicious!

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Servings 22 balls

Ingredients

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas washed and soaked overnight
½ cup chopped green coriander
½ cup chopped parsley
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 small onions chopped
2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 chopped green chili
1 ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
2 Tbsp coriander powder
6 Tbsp breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying

Instructions

Wash and soak the chickpeas in water and leave aside for at least 8 hours. They will triple in size. Drain away the water and wash them once again. DO NOT use canned or boiled chickpeas!!!
Transfer the beans to a food processor and chop until you get a fine crumbly texture.
Take coriander, parsley, garlic cloves, onion and green chili and chop roughly.
Combine these together in the food processor. Then add to the ground chickpeas.
Mix all the ingredients together and add in salt, peppers, coriander and roasted cumin powder.
Shape into round balls or ovals using two spoons / falafel maker or rolling between your hands.
Heat the oil for deep frying and set the heat to medium.
Fry the falafels in batches on medium heat until golden brown and crispy from outside. DO NOT crowd the pan !
Take out and place on a wire rack to avoid getting from soggy.
Serve warm with yoghurt tahini sauce !

Notes

Do not use pre cooked or canned chickpeas! Rehydrating the dried ones is the key to making the authentic falafels.
If your food processor is not big or powerful enough to mince all the ingredients at once, do it in small batches and combine in a separate bowl.
You may use your meat grinder and mince the beans as well as other ingredients through it.
The recipe can easily be doubled.
You can also freeze the fried falafels. Pop in oven WITHOUT defrosting and reheat on 140 C until crispy.