• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Broke foodies

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact us

Super Fluffy Lebanese-Style Falafel | Vegan Recipe

May 19, 2021 By Idriss Leave a Comment

64 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to RecipePrint 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.

Lebanese Falafel Served on Platter with Hummus and Tahini Sauce

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.

Lebanese Falafel Served on Platter with Hummus and Tahini Sauce

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

How to make lebanese falafel step-by-step collage
  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!

Lebanese Falafel Served on Platter with Hummus and Tahini Sauce

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.

Recipe Card

Lebanese Falafel Served on Platter with Hummus and Tahini Sauce
Print Pin

Lebanese-style Falafel

Fluffy, light and super crispy. This simple recipe will guide through the process of making excellent Falafel in the comfort of your own home
Course Main Course
Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern
Keyword Authentic, Burger recipe, Falafel, Lebanese, recipe, vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 10 Falafel
Calories 160kcal
Author Idriss

Ingredients

Falafel

  • 250 g dried chickpeas soaked overnight
  • ½ small onion
  • ¼ cup parsley
  • ¼ cup coriander
  • 4-6 mint leaves
  • 1 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 liter oil to fry vegetable oil or sunflower oil
  • ⅓ cup untoasted sesame seeds

Tahini sauce

  • ¼ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt (or coconut yogurt)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 3 chopped mint leaves
  • salt, to taste
  • ⅓ cup water

Instructions

Preparation the night before:

  • Soak chickpeas overnight in water. You can change the water every 6-8 hours.

Making the Falafel & Tahini sauce:

  • 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.
  • 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 aside.
  • Make your Tahini sauce: In a bowl, add all of the ingredients except the water (tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, mint & salt) and mix. Then add the water and mix. Set aside.
  • Fill your saucepan halfway with oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Alternately, you can fry them in a shallow pan, but in such a case, fry them as patties and not as balls. It should take a few minutes for the oil to be hot. To test, flick a small amount of water in the hot oil. It should sizzle.
  • Since we're using a small saucepan to fry our falafel, we are making them round using an ice-cream scoop. Have a bowl of water nearby, the sesame seeds, falafel mix, and a large plate covered with paper towel.
  • 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. 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 with Hummus and your Tahini Sauce and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1FalafelSugar: 3gFiber: 4.6gCalories: 160kcalFat: 9gProtein: 5gCarbohydrates: 15.9g
Tried this recipe?Mention @broke_foodies to be featured on our page!
64 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Finger Foods, Make this for dinner !, MEDIT, Recipe Index, Spring Time, Summer Favorites

Previous Post: « Homemade Montreal Bagels – Simple and Easy Recipe
Next Post: Mind-blowing Sourdough Pancakes | Sourdough Recipe Ideas »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Spring favorites

Soudough Pancakes Served with Butter and Maple Syrup

Mind-blowing Sourdough Pancakes | Sourdough Recipe Ideas

Leave a Comment

Apple Crumb Cake

The Very Best Apple Crumb Cake

8 Comments

Salmon Aflredo Pasta in a skillet

Super Creamy Salmon Alfredo Pasta

Leave a Comment

Lebanese Falafel Served on Platter with Hummus and Tahini Sauce

Super Fluffy Lebanese-Style Falafel | Vegan Recipe

Leave a Comment

Keto Chicken Salad served in a large white bowl

Keto Chicken Salad

2 Comments

Weeknight Beans and Toast served in a skillet

Weeknight Beans on Toast – Eggs Anytime

Leave a Comment

Vegan Jamaican Patties- Get your bake on, not bacon, with this easy recipe for vegan Jamaican patties.

The Best Vegan Jamaican Patties

86 Comments

Hi there!

I'm Idriss. I'm a full-time student and foodie. My wife Lea and I live in Montreal and we love to make and share simple and mostly healthy recipes that fit within a reasonable budget. All foodies are welcome! Read more about us ...

Follow us on Social!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Popular Right Now

Sun dried tomato pasta in a skillet

Creamy Sun dried Tomato Pasta

Leave a Comment

Keto Chicken Meatballs served with tomato sauce

Succulent Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Meatballs

2 Comments

Vegan chocolate chip cookies on a white surface

The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies – Soft & Chewy

14 Comments

West African Peanut Stew served with naan

West African Peanut Stew | Step by Step

Leave a Comment

Creamy Red Lentil Soup garnished with croutons and coconut cream

Creamy Red Lentil Soup – Vegan Recipe

1 Comment

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

Broke Foodies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Broke Foodies © 2023 powered by WordPress and built on Genesis Framework

 

Loading Comments...