Super Fluffy Lebanese-Style Falafel | Vegan Recipe

Ever wanted to make Lebanese Falafel by yourself but found it intimidating ? Or tried and just didn’t turn out well ?

In today’s post I will guide you through the process of making mind-blowing falafel that are highly likely to impress anyone you serve them to.

What are Falafel ?

Falafel are deep-fried patties, or ball, made from ground chickpeas, fava beans (broad beans) or a mixture of both. It is the quintessential middle-eastern street-food and probably one of the most popular street foods in the world.

Falafel is not to be confused for the Egyptian Ta’miya. Although they do look similar, Ta’miya is made using fava beans and is different in texture and taste to Falafel. Egyptians are very serious about this distinction, and once you’ve tried both you will see the difference for yourself.

On the other hand, Lebanese and to an extent Falafel from all over the Levant are made using chickpeas and are seasoned a little differently. Their slightly bigger, their texture is slightly more dense and they are probably the falafel that you know and recognize.

What makes a great Falafel ?

Every component that goes into a falafel is crucially important. Falafel have to be crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy in the inside. They have to have enough fresh herbs and onion. Too much onion and your falafel will have a bad after taste. Too little and they won’t be as moist and fluffy as they should be.

It’s all about balance. Mr. Miyagi level balance.

Here is what we will need to make Falafel:

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): use dried, raw, chickpeas only. Soak them for 12 hours and make sure that you replace the water as often as you can. This will get rid off all the excess gases released by the chickpeas during rehydration.

1/2 a small onion: I like using red onions for this recipe as they are a little sweeter and pack more flavour. If you don’t have any on hand then just use any other kind of onion. Onions are very important as they release a lot of water during cooking which prevents your falafel from becoming dry.

Fresh Parsley, Mint & Coriander: They add tons of freshness, moisture, and balance to a falafel. Plus that green colour. You gotta have that.

Garlic: Adds more depth of flavour.

Spices: Coriander seeds add freshness. Cumin has a very complex flavour and helps relieve bloating which is always a thing with chickpeas. Black pepper, for a little kick.

Baking Soda + Lemon Juice: Baking soda is an alkaline compound which when combined with acidity (lemon juice) releases carbon dioxide (CO2). In other words, this chemical reaction releases lots of air bubbles which makes our falafel very very light and fluffy. Yay science!

Water: Add water to this mixture may seem contradictory right? But actually it makes all the sense in the world. Your mixture will need a little helping hand to stay moist as chickpeas tend to absorb water like a sponge. If you fry them as is, they probably will dry up too quickly.

How to Make Lebanese Falafel

Making Falafel is very easy, and extremely rewarding. Here is what you need to know

1. In the food processor, place your chickpeas, herbs (coriander, parsley, mint), onion, garlic, and coriander seeds. Blend for 30 seconds, and then clean the sides to bring the mixture inwards. Then add the rest of the spices (cumin, salt, pepper), the baking soda and the lemon juice. Blend again, cleaning the sides downwards with a spoon after about 45 seconds. Blend until the texture is smooth and light, as shown in the photo.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add 2 tbsp water. Mix it in. The water will be absorbed quite quickly. This helps to make the falafel soft and light once they are fried. Press the falafel mixture down to have a flat surface, and set asid and let it rest for 15 minutes.
3. Dip the ice-cream scoop in water, then scoop into the falafel mix, flattening the top & cleaning the edges with your hand. This helps them unstick from the scoop. Dip the falafel ball (still in the ice-cream scoop) in the sesame seeds and release the ball of falafel directly in the hot oil.
4. Fry 2-3 balls at a time, rinsing out your ice-cream scoop in the water bowl each time, to avoid the falafel sticking to the ice-cream scoop. They take about 5-7 minutes to brown on medium-high heat. Fry until browned in colour, then remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on the plate with paper towel.

Serve your falafel with Tahini Sauce, hummus and of course some bread!

Avoid these common mistakes

Adding flour to the mixture: this is a common one, and a big one at that. People tend to think of this as a binder, but falafel mixture does not need that. It will not fall apart in the oil if your measurements are good. Further, flour will make your falafel very dry as it will absorb all the moisture. So, to recap: no All-purpose flour, self-rising flour, chickpea flour or any kind of flour.

Use dry chickpeas: this is another big one. You cannot make good falafel using canned chickpeas as they are already cooked and are too soft. They will disintegrate in the oil and turn it into a sludgy mess. Instead, use dry chickpeas and soak them in water for at least 12 hours.

Not blending your mixture very well: Your falafel mixture should be homogeneous looking (refer to picture above). You should not see any little yellow bits of chickpeas or onions. Make sure it’s well blended to ensure that will cook evenly.

Using baking powder: this is not a deal breaker and all things considered is a very small thing. However, baking soda is much more potent than baking powder, which means you will need a lot less of it. This is important as we are trying not add too many dry ingredients to our mixture.

Common questions:

Can Falafel be frozen ? Yes, they can. I would recommend half-frying the ones you don’t count on eating. Let them cool down and freeze in ziplocks. Whenever needed, fry your Falafel from frozen. I have found this to be very good way to conserve Falafel.

Can Falafel be baked ? Yes, absolutely. I would recommend shaping them into patties, lightly brushing them with oil on both sides and baking at 425F for 25-30 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and how big you have shaped your Falafel.

Can I pan fry my falafel ? Yes, you can. To fry them in a shallow pan, shape them into patties and apply the same process. The frying time should be much much shorter so keep an eye on them.

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