Homemade 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.

A binding ingredient can help keep it together, especially if you are using canned beans instead of dried. And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties.

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. The falafel mixture after prepared can be shaped by hand or with a tool called an alb falafel (falafel mold).

Baking soda and powder: Baking soda breaks down and softens the chickpeas as they soak. Baking powder, mixed in just before baking, makes the falafel light and airy. Fresh herbs: The tender leaves of parsley, dill, and cilantro bring fresh, herbal flavor and color.

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.

The chickpeas should be tender enough to break apart with your fingers, but still have a bite to them. While the chickpeas soak, you can make tzatziki, chop tomatoes and lettuce, and assemble the other falafel ingredients.

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.

How do you get a falafel to stick together? Falafel will stick together when you follow the recipe and make sure they chill long enough. You should also scoop the balls of dough tightly and that will keep them in one piece.

Falafel is usually made with fava beans in Egyptian cuisine, with chickpeas in Palestinian cuisine, or either just chickpeas or a combination of both in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

A cooked falafel is supposed to be crispy and crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Due to variations in preparation methods and recipes - some falafels are mushier and with more moisture, while others are a bit more on the dry side.

How long does homemade falafel last? ›

The raw minced mixture is sometimes allowed to rest to integrate the flavours and textures, ideally refrigerated. Use the uncooked mixture within a day: cooked, refrigerated falafel should be eaten within three days.

You can freeze the falafel pre- or post-frying. Either way, you'll need to arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer, freeze until solid, then pack into food bags and label.

The falafel mixture should never be too wet or too dry.

The texture should not be too coarse nor too fine, similar to a grain of couscous works well.

If your making it at home then to reduce gas, soak with quick method, the beans and discard the soaking water before cooking them. Or cook in pressure cooker from dry further limiting the fermentation time!

Falafel Mix

Let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Heat oven to 350°F. On a baking sheet, form falafel into 2 inch round balls using a falafel scooper, or by hand. Spray the balls lightly with olive oil.

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!

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.

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.

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.