My Mom’s Award Winning Delicious Falafel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why can't you use canned chickpeas for falafel? ›

Canned chickpeas do not work for falafel. They're far too wet. If you try to use canned chickpeas instead of dried and soaked chickpeas, you'll end up with sad falafel pancakes. Some recipes try to counteract the wetness by adding flour, which significantly dulls the flavor and makes the texture more doughy.

If you don't like cilantro, simply substitute it with more parsley. Flavor makers: Yellow onion and a bracing amount of garlic give the falafel its deeply savory taste. I like the sweetness of yellow onion, but red or white would also work.

A few rough bits are completely fine. If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs.

For meatballs: Replacing parsley with fresh basil in meatballs can create an authentic Italian flavor. For garlic bread: Using dried oregano or Italian seasoning can give garlic bread a flavorful kick. For falafel: Celery tops are the best option for falafel if a person does not have any parsley to hand.

Interference with medications. Canned chickpeas contain high amounts of potassium. Since people who are on certain medications, such as beta-blockers for heart disease, have increased levels of potassium in the blood, they should be careful about their potassium intake.

If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them with water to cut the sodium (salt) content by almost a half. Rinse well in cold water to make them easier to digest and less gas-producing.

There are three types of falafel--Traditional falafel, baked falafel and lemon falafel. “Where the traditional falafel is the basic fried falafel comprising a mix of chickpeas, onions, garlic, herbs and spices, baked falafels are made using fresh herbs in the chickpea mixture,” says Chef Sati from Ophelia.

If you cook those dried chickpeas before making falafel, you run into the same issues you find with canned—they just don't bind. The key to great falafel is to soak the dried chickpeas, but grind them while they're still completely raw.

Chickpeas. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are the protein (and fiber) powerhouses that make up hummus. But you can also use them to make baked falafel, which is solid enough to serve as a meat-free patty.

Resting the prepared falafel balls in the refrigerator for about an hour before you fry them can also help them keep their shape when they hit the hot oil. For best results, the oil should be between 350 and 360 F.

How do you know when falafel is done? ›

Form the falafel mix into 1/2-inch patties (instead of balls) so that they sit flat. Pan-fry the falafel patties, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.

A little flour in the mix will help. You can also try resting them in the refrigerator before cooking (this usually helps with all sorts of things of this kind, like meatballs.) Also, make sure that your oil is hot enough and that you aren't trying to cook too much at once.

Since chickpeas are easier to find than fava for most people I have stuck to recipes using chickpeas only. My favorite falafel that come from often Urban food trucks and Middle Eastern falafel shops, are usually very green on the inside. This is from using a plethora of either parsley, cilantro or both.

Quinoa. Containing all essential amino acids, quinoa can be a nutritionally similar replacement for chickpeas. Its texture resembles ground chickpeas, making it an easy chickpea substitute in falafel.

Fresh or dried tarragon

You can use equal amounts of fresh tarragon or dried tarragon to substitute for fresh dill or dried dill.

The only difference is that canned chickpeas tend to be moist and hold extra liquid. This can make your hummus runnier than if you used dried chickpeas soaked overnight. Go ahead and try making hummus with canned chickpeas - it should still be delicious!

Using dried chickpeas eliminates the need for flour or other binders, giving you falafel that is light and crisp. Letting the falafel dough rest after grinding allows starch to seep out, making it easier for the balls to retain their shape.

Canned chickpeas are pre-cooked chickpeas. You can eat canned chickpeas straight out of the can! (Just be sure to rinse them off before chowing down to wash out excess sodium) Otherwise, you can roast them or turn them into any number of delicious dishes, like these here.

Some chickpea recipes do not require you to remove the peels. However, I have found that there are many occasions where I personally view de-peeling chickpeas as a necessity.