Falafel

Name: Falafel
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 units onion; 1 pinch parsley; 1 cup chickpea; 1 pinch black pepper; 2 tsp cumin powder; 1 pinch salt; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 cup wheat flour; 2 cloves garlic

ekilu Team

“Everyone loves falafel; these chickpea balls are quick and simple, and they're a great source of protein. Serve with rice and salad, or with pita bread and yogurt dressing for the traditional falafel experience.”

ingredients

Difficulty

Medium

Time

25'

Fresh ingredients

onion

2 units

parsley

1 pinch

Pantry ingredients

chickpea

1 cup

black pepper

1 pinch

cumin powder

2 tsp

salt

1 pinch

olive oil

4 tbsp

wheat flour

1 cup

garlic

2 cloves

Instructions

Soak the chickpeas for 24 hours in sufficient water. Then rinse well and drain off the excess water on a clean cloth or paper towels.

Coarsely grind the chickpeas, ideally using a food processor or blender. Don’t puree them. Transfer to a large bowl.

Peel and mince the onion and garlic. Feel free to use a food processor or blender to do this. Do this with care because the onion will release a lot of water if minced too finely, which is not desirable. Wash and drain the parsley. Mince with the onion and garlic. Add the mixture to the chickpeas and drain off any excess liquid.

Season the falafel mixture with salt and pepper, and 2 teaspoons ground cumin. Use your hands to mix everything smoothly as possible. Roll amounts of the mixture into balls that hold their shape. If the mixture is too watery, add flour (ideally chickpea flour.)

Put plenty of olive oil into a skillet and heat well. Fry the falafel until deep golden. Drain off the excess oil on paper towel and serve the falafel with the desired accompaniment.

Tips & Tricks

The chickpeas need to be soaked for one whole day. Go ahead and soak some now for tomorrow.

Season with a little cilantro for a more intense flavor and serve with a delicious homemade yogurt dressing (vegan-friendly version also available; find the recipe for this in the “Sauces” category of our app).

A longer and slightly more elaborate version of this recipe calls for the addition of an envelope of dry yeast to the falafel mixture so it compacts better. Knead the mixture and let stand in a covered bowl for 45–60 minutes before shaping the falafel and deep-frying.

Find other original chickpea recipes using our search by ingredient function.