Recipe Requested Falafel?

[M1k3]

I have some dried chickpeas I want to use up. What's your favorite Falafel recipe?

Nothing with mint though

 

[SeattleBen]

I've had my eye on the following from Serious Eats. As far as recipes go it's easy and other than having a cooks palate and nothing being salty enough, I've never been let down by them.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes...-experience-best-homemade-falafel-recipe.html
I think we've got a Syrian cookbook that has a recipe for falafel too if you have yet to sort yourself out with one and the SE isn't to your liking.

 

[Carl Kotte]

I love falafel but I every time I try to do it they fall apart in the frying process. At this point I’ve given up. Will follow this closely

 

[M1k3]

Thanks. Looks like I need to order some herbs and spices(s). Which is fine because I have to soak the beans. Making stocks today, probably add some veggie stock to the bean soak.

 

[M1k3]

I tried out the serious eats recipe. My supposedly "fresh" dried garbanzo beans were NOT fresh. I ended having to boil them
Which was the beginning of my fail.

My beans weren't creamy enough.

Food processor (which I don't have) > blender.

I didn't compact the first batch of falafel enough.

Second batch almost stuck together. Ended up with 3 mini falafels.

For batches three and four, I lightly floured the outside of the falafels. Compacted them ever so slightly more. Success! The wife and I can have a pita each of falafel.

Tsaziki sauce had a little to much garlic.

I accidentally added to much salt to the falafel. Double the amount..



After all was said, I ordered more beans and food processor. Wasn't a complete loss... I didn't mess up the salad

 

[Michi]

After all was said, I ordered more beans and food processor. Wasn't a complete loss... I didn't mess up the salad

I thoroughly approve! Picture with the food processor to the “Show us your newest gear” thread please!

 

[Jovidah]

Easy solution: order chicken döner instead!

 

[Fritzel]

To get a good consistency, process 1/4 of the batch to a paste and the rest just pulse. The paste will act as a binder and keep your falafel from falling apart.

 

[outofgamut]

I've used this recipe from Epicurious with good results:

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
Tahina sauce
Pita bread

DIRECTIONS
Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.
Heat 3 inches of oil to 375ºF in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.

NOTES
NOTE: Egyptians omit the cilantro and substitute fava beans for the chickpeas.

 

[panda]

add bulgur wheat while soaking beans

 

[Danzo]

I love falafel but I every time I try to do it they fall apart in the frying process. At this point I’ve given up. Will follow this closely

we would fry them from frozen at this place i worked at ages ago. made huge batches and scooped them out to IQF, never fell apart.

 

[Michi]

I've made Falafel using the Serious Eats recipe several times now. They've turned out really nice each time. No falling apart, nice crispy outside and fluffy inside. The combination of herbs they suggest works really well.

Goes well with homemade hummus.

 

[RDalman]

Had a friend from Syria over. So I put chickpeas to soak yesterday. For the falafel I used the meat grinder ran them through twice. Huuge load of parsley on friends advice, 2 parts dried corainder seeds 1 part cumin. Salt lots of garlic. Fried in pan. Was long ago I made falafel but these where best yet easily.

 

[MarcelNL]

sounds great!
I somehow recall seeing or hearing someone say yuo ought to peel the chickpeas after soaking...but I can be way off, anyone with more on that topic (seems like a mammoth challenge for my limited patience)

 

[RDalman]

sounds great!
I somehow recall seeing or hearing someone say yuo ought to peel the chickpeas after soaking...but I can be way off, anyone with more on that topic (seems like a mammoth challenge for my limited patience)

For hummus, not falafel I heard..

 

[Lars]

For hummus, but the work/reward-ratio was not worth it for me.

 

[ian]

I did that last time I made hummus. Thought it turned out with a nice texture. Skins came off real easily after a baking soda soak.

 

[Rangen]

I have not had falafel in a very long time, but when I was in college, about 1/3 of my lunches came from the falafel truck. It was my archetypal falafel, very coarse, wonderfully crisp on the outside, wrapped in a thick pita with a soothing creamy dressing.

I really should try to recreate it someday...

 

[chiffonodd]

You guys are killing me with this ****, I lived in Israel for a few months in 2005 and I still dream of the falafel and hummus. And the shawarma. Jewish, Arab, Druze -- the food is like the one thing that binds people over there.

So, so good.

 

[outofgamut]

I really should try to recreate it someday...

I think you should be good:

We’ve got quite a few good falafel ball recipes here now. Pick one.

You can make your own pita (not that hard) or just buy some from the store.

Make some Tahina sauce: add some lemon juice to a few spoons of tahina, add water and whisk to the consistency you like. Add salt and minced garlic - this is also a terrific salad dressing.

Then put some freshly fried falafel balls into the pita and add _tons_ of fresh vegies. Israeli shops usually have a big buffet where you serve yourself from. Think beetroot, cabbage, lettuce, pickles, and, and, and. Top with Tahina sauce and you’ve got a perfect meal.

Were we all close together and not in a pandemic this strikes me as a near perfect food to prep and enjoy together while nerding out.

 

[chiffonodd]

. . . Israeli shops usually have a big buffet where you serve yourself from. Think beetroot, cabbage, lettuce, pickles, and, and, and. Top with Tahina sauce and you’ve got a perfect meal.

Those were always my favorite. Im Ha'Kol! ("With everything"). And the tahina yaroka ("green tahina") pureed with herb . . .

Drool.

 

[Dakota Day Trader]

Those look great!

As a dad with smaller kids, my only Falafel experience is this: LINK

Enjoy!

 

[Carl Kotte]

I managed to do falafel today. First time I’ve been happy with my falafel. Thanks @Michi and @M1k3 !

 

[MarcelNL]

going to make some too, too long ago that I had some decent falafel, that probably was back when I lived in Amsterdam and Shawarma was up and coming (and really good)

 

[Lars]

I made falafel today and ran them through the meat grinder twice ala @RDalman. They were very workable and came out great.