Lebanon · Main · Medium
Falafel
Crisp, herb-green chickpea fritters with lemony tahini sauce
Raw soaked chickpeas ground with onion, garlic, parsley and coriander, shaped and deep-fried at 175 °C, served with tahini sauce. Using soaked, uncooked chickpeas, never canned, is what lets the mix hold together and fry up crisp outside and fluffy inside.
- Energy
- 608 kcalper serving
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 18 h 30 min
- Protein
- 19 g
How was it?
Equipment
- Large bowl for soaking
- Food processor
- Clean tea towel
- Deep heavy pot (at least 4 l) or deep-fryer
- Frying thermometer
- Falafel scoop or two tablespoons
- Slotted spoon or spider
- Wire rack set over a tray
Before you start
- Start soaking the chickpeas the day before; they need 18–24 hours.
- Wash the herbs and dry them completely in a salad spinner, then on a towel.
- Roughly chop the onion and peel the garlic.
- Set the wire rack over a tray next to the stove.
Method
-
Soak the chickpeas
250 g dried chickpeas1.5 l waterRinse the chickpeas, cover them with the water in a large bowl and soak for 18–24 hours at cool room temperature or in the fridge.
Done when The chickpeas have more than doubled, and one breaks cleanly between your fingers with no hard white core.
Tip Do not shorten the soak. Under-soaked chickpeas grind into a gritty mix that fries hard.
-
Drain and dry
250 g dried chickpeasDrain the chickpeas well and spread them on the tea towel. Pat dry and leave for 10 minutes.
Done when The surface of the chickpeas looks matt, with no water pooling around them.
-
Grind the mix
250 g dried chickpeas120 g onion5 cloves garlic30 g flat-leaf parsley30 g fresh corianderPut the chickpeas, onion, 4 cloves of garlic, parsley and coriander in the food processor. Pulse in 1-second bursts, scraping down the sides, for about 2 minutes.
Done when The mix looks like coarse, damp, green-flecked couscous and holds together when squeezed in your fist. It is not a smooth paste.
Tip A smooth paste fries dense and oily. Stop as soon as it clumps when pressed.
-
Season and chill
2 tsp ground cumin2 tsp ground coriander½ tsp ground allspice½ tsp black pepper7 g saltAdd the cumin, ground coriander, allspice, pepper and the salt minus a pinch, and pulse 3–4 times to mix. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Done when The spices are evenly spread, with no pockets of powder, and the chilled mix feels firm.
Tip Fry a small test piece at this stage to check the seasoning; raw falafel mix should not be tasted.
-
Make the tahini sauce
100 g tahini60 ml lemon juice5 cloves garlic7 g salt80 ml cold waterWhisk the tahini with the lemon juice, the grated clove of garlic and the reserved pinch of salt. Add the cold water a little at a time, whisking, until smooth and pourable.
Done when The sauce first seizes and turns thick and pale, then loosens into a smooth cream that falls from the whisk in a steady ribbon.
Tip If it stays thick, keep adding water by the tablespoon; it always loosens in the end.
-
Heat the oil
1.5 l sunflower oilPour the oil into the pot and heat over medium-high heat to 175 °C, about 10–15 minutes. Adjust the heat to hold it there.
Done when The thermometer reads 175 °C and a pinch of the mix dropped in sizzles at once and rises to the surface.
175 °C · 347 °F -
Shape the falafel
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda1 tbsp sesame seedsStir the bicarbonate of soda into the cold mix. With the scoop or wet hands, shape about 24 walnut-sized patties, slightly flattened, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Done when Each patty holds its shape with clean edges and does not crumble when you lift it.
Tip If the mix will not hold, it is too wet: pulse in 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour.
-
Fry a test falafel
Lower one patty into the oil and fry for 3–4 minutes, turning once. Cut it open and taste.
Done when It stays whole, turns deep golden brown, and is fluffy and steaming green inside. Adjust salt in the mix if needed.
175 °C · 347 °F -
Fry in batches
Fry 6–8 patties at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning once, keeping the oil at 175 °C.
Done when The falafel are deep golden brown all over, float high in the oil, and the bubbling around them slows down.
Tip Overcrowding drops the oil below 165 °C and the falafel soak up oil. Let the oil come back to 175 °C between batches.
175 °C · 347 °F -
Drain and serve
Lift the falafel onto the wire rack with the slotted spoon and drain for 1 minute. Serve hot with the tahini sauce.
Done when The crust sounds hollow and crisp when tapped and no oil drips from them.
Common mistakes
The falafel fall apart in the oil.
Fix Cooked or canned chickpeas, wet herbs or over-processing. Use soaked raw chickpeas, dry the herbs thoroughly, and chill the mix before shaping.
They are greasy and heavy.
Fix The oil was too cool. Fry at 175 °C with a thermometer and do not crowd the pot.
Dark outside, raw inside.
Fix The oil was too hot or the patties too thick. Keep the oil at 175 °C and flatten the patties to about 2.5 cm.
The inside is dense and hard.
Fix The chickpeas were under-soaked or ground to a paste. Soak at least 18 hours and stop at a coarse, couscous texture.
Serving
Serve hot, in khubz or pita with the tahini sauce, sliced tomatoes, pickled turnips, radishes and fresh mint, or on a plate with a chopped salad.
Storage and reheating
Cooked falafel keep 2 days in the fridge; reheat on a tray in a 200 °C oven for 8–10 minutes. The raw mix, without the bicarbonate of soda, keeps 2 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen. Tahini sauce keeps 4 days in the fridge; loosen it with water.
Make ahead
Make the mix up to 2 days ahead and add the bicarbonate of soda just before frying. The tahini sauce can be made 1 day ahead.
Variations
Half fava beans
Replace half of the chickpeas with dried split, skinned fava beans, soaked the same way. The falafel are greener and lighter inside, as in many Beirut shops.
Oven-baked
Brush the patties with oil and bake on an oiled tray at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes, turning halfway. They are drier and less crisp, but use far less oil.
Falafel wrap
Split warm khubz, spread with tahini sauce, add 4 crushed falafel, tomato, pickled turnip, parsley and mint, and roll up tightly.
