Many falafel recipes will tell you that you can use canned chick peas in a pinch. And you can. However, the results are not always pleasing. Canned chick peas usually result in a falafel that is too soft and tends to fall apart. When I say soft, I don’t mean fluffy. That is a good thing in a falafel. I mean mushy, which is a bad thing. What’s the problem here?
The answer is so very simple. Using canned chickpeas is similar to the mistake some cooks make when they soak and then boil the chickpeas for 2 or 3 hours.
Never Boil Chickpeas For Falafel
For good falafel, you never boil the dried chickpeas. You soak them for 8 hours or overnight in cold water, simply to soften them enough to grind them. Falafel is, by definition, a deep-fried croquette of ground, raw chickpeas or fava beans.
The chickpeas must be somewhat dry so as to get the right crunchy texture and to have them hold together. Over-hydrated chickpeas will not hold together in the fryer, unless you add eggs, and even then they may still give you trouble.
Boiling your chickpeas before you make the falafel will over-hydrate them, and canned chickpeas are already cooked and over-hydrated.
Canned Chickpeas = Boiled Chickpeas
The deep frying of the falafel balls (or fritters, if you prefer) is what cooks the chickpeas. Canned peas are like using cooked chickpeas, except worse, because they have way too much moisture; even more than if you had cooked your soaked beans.
If you just have to make falafel, like right now, and all you have is canned chickpeas, by all means, don’t let me stop you. But if you want it to turn out best, it is really no trouble to plan ahead and throw some beans into cold water to soak.
When you grind or process the beans, it should be more like a fine and crumbly mixture rather than a paste. It is as if you are making a moist flour from the beans. You can also make falafel with fava beans, which is how it was originally made; or from both chickpeas and fava beans.
Meat Grinder or Food Processor?
You don’t need a meat grinder to make falafel, and who has one these days? If you do have one, then use it to grind your soaked chickpeas. If you have a nice stand mixer, it may have come with a meat grinder. Perhaps the attachment is hidden somewhere in the back of a cabinet. A grinder will give the best texture.
If not, you can grind the chickpeas using the chopper blade of a food processor. That is if you think a chopper blade can grind anything. If you’re like me, you call that chopping.
Grinding and chopping are not the same thing and the resulting textures do differ. Is it worth buying a meat grinder for? Of course not. Either way, you can still make excellent falafel.
Falafel Mold
Forming the falafel dough into balls by hand is a pain. It sticks to your hands as you’re trying to roll the balls into shape and by the time you do get a ball together you’ve mashed it into such a dense little package that you may not end up with fluffy falafel. Plus, it is difficult to produce patties or balls of uniform size.
A solution is to get a falafel mold. You can get a good one for between 8 and 12 bucks. If you make a lot of falafel, I’d say it’s worth it. You could also use it to mold other things, maybe even meatballs. These allow you to get the same amount every time and to mold a perfect croqutte without overly condensing it.
- Premium quality food-grade stainless steel
- Brushed finish.
- Can easily br taken apart for deep cleaning.
- Dishwasher-safe
- Smooth handle
- Easy to make small-sized falafel.
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Another method is the two-spoon method, which is exactly like the French method of forming an oval shape called a quenelle, using two small spoons. The basic technique is to scoop out some of the mixture with one spoon, invert the other spoon over the top of the mound, and use it to smooth the mound into an oval shape.
Then, you carefully slide the top spoon under the quenelle and slide it into the frying oil. Or, you can use your hands. The only thing I would recommend is to work the shape by gently smoothing the mound of falafel mix on one spoon and then gently slide the other spoon underneath the mound to transfer it, then gently finish shaping it with the now empty spoon.
This way, the transferring action itself will help to shape the quenelles, instead of just pressing away at the mound, which can make the patty too dense.
Herbs and Spices For Falafel
Some recipes use a ton of fresh cilantro. I love cilantro but if you are one of those persons who hates cilantro, there is no rule that you must use it. Also, lots of fresh herb will tend to over-power the chickpea taste. A good alternative is to use curly leaf parsley milder and sweeter taste and Italian parsley for a slightly sharper taste.
Alternatively, you can use a little ground coriander seed instead of the fresh cilantro. Or, you can make up your own recipe, putting in all sorts of flavors. Coriander seed gives a nice lemony overtone to any dish, but don’t overdo this one either.
Cumin is usually used in falafel but be sparing. I like to use less of the dried spices and more fresh herb. I think it gives a cleaner flavor. Too much cumin can be overpowering and it is one of those spices that people tend to be too heavy-handed with, in my opinion.
Speaking of cumin, it is also used in Mexican cuisine, so why not a Mexican-inspired falafel with some chiles included?
Another thing I would not recommend is loading the falafel with lots of turmeric, which will give it a muddy, musty taste. A bit of turmeric is great for color, but if you use it, be sparing.
For some reason, many people seem to think you have to load anything Middle Eastern with turmeric, and it is an overwhelming flavor. For falafel, you don’t need any turmeric is you don’t want to use it.
Another thing that will keep your falafel held together, beside flour, is a bit of sesame tahini in the mix (see also Can You Make Homemade Tahini?). Tahini is used to make a classic accompanying sauce but you can use it in the mix as well. It gives a bit of nutty flavor but too much will make it bitter.
Also, the tahini will make for a denser falafel. Another tradition that you might find in some parts of the Middle East, but not in Israel, is to dip the falafel balls in sesame seeds before frying them.
However, all of this is an adornment to the basic falafel base. Before finishing up, I want to relate the basics of a pure, unadulterated falafel, as you might find in those parts of Isreal where they appreciate what they might consider the real thing. The basic ingredients are something like:
- Chickpeas soaked overnight (say about 3 cups)
- powdered cumin
- powdered coriander seed
- cayenne pepper
- flour
- garlic
- salt
- oil for deep frying, 375°F
That’s it. You would grind the chickpeas in a meat grinder and then mix the grind with the ingredients, or you would place everything in a food processor and “grind” it all together. Then you’d shape the mixture into croquettes and fry.
This is not to say there are not very trendy and fancy falafels to be found Isreal as well, and it is certainly not to pretend that Israel is the origin of falafel, as nobody seems to know and many different places proclaim to be the its homeland.
Egypt is often brought up as the origin, but so is the Indian subcontinent and Yemen and/or the Levant in general. The question becomes, however, not where legumes began to be deep-fried as fritters, but where the term falafel originated, which is not really the question at all.
In Israel, by the way, the term tends to refer to the fritters stuffed into Arab flatbread and served with cucumbers, tomatoes, tahini sauce, etc., whereas in other places the term refers to the fritters themselves, which are not always eaten as a sandwich. Regardless, falafel is big in Israel. It is, after all, the national dish.
Ideally, your falafel croquettes should be very crisp on the outside and airy and moist on the inside. This is one reason why you must serve them immediately if you want them to be their best, as they will dry out on the inside quickly.
Obviously you can’t always serve a big family and expect all the falafel to be eaten right out of the fryer, but the quicker the better. Another problem is having them lose their crispiness and go soft.
You can help avoid this by draining your croquettes on a wire rack set on a baking pan, instead of on paper towels. In my humble opinion, paper towels suck for draining fried foods. They absorb the oil until saturated, so that you end up with you food sitting on oil-saturated paper, causing it to go soft and limp.
Falafel Recipe
My basic recipe is below. I would recommend that you compare and contrast and experiment with the seasonings, etc. However, this one should give you good results.
To soak the two cups of dried chickpeas, use about 4 cups of cold water and soak overnight. You can get tahini (sesame paste) at most large chain grocery stores.
The typical “toppings” used in most recipes are cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet red peppers, and onions. These toppings are similar to the everyday ‘Israeli Salad,’ the traditional topping for a Falafel (sandwich) in Israel.
Although most American restaurants serve up huge chunks of the stuff, Israelis would never eat it this way. They prefer it all chopped up into small cubes and mixed into a salad, which I think you will find is far preferable since the flavors blend together much better.
he Israeli way of dicing everything fine and very neatly is called dak-dek for very fine or Katan-katan for very small.
There is nothing particularly Israeli about the salad as it is a typical Middle Eastern type salad and is, in fact, sometimes called an Arab Salad.
But in Israel, you just don’t have a meal without a salad of some kind, and this is the typical one. So that is why it’s called an Israeli Salad: it is ubiquitous to Israel and even the McDonald’s chain, mentioned above, had to serve up the vegetables this way because that is the only way Israeli customers would accept the toppings. I include a recipe for the “salad” as well as lemon tahini sauce. I also include an easy yogurt sauce, which I prefer.
Keep in mind that these are the more traditional types of accompaniments, but this does not mean that there are not all kinds of other things that certain trendy establishments might offer in Israel.
Pickles, coleslaw or other cabbage salad, eggplant dip, hot sauce, etc. might be found. Also, most falafel stands also sell french fries, and many customers put the French fries right into their sandwiches.
I remember a stand in Turkey that sold the wonderful lamb sandwiches called Döners. This particular vendor served them in thick bread that was more like French bread, but they were typically served in pocket breads or tortilla-like wraps. He also served French fries and we Americans began putting the French fries (which were awesome), into our sandwiches.
The vendor thought this was a strange but wonderful idea and began offering this to his regular customers. Now you can find french fries in Döners all over Turkey. We invented it!
Okay, I’m lying. Not about the French fries or the vendor offering the variation to his customers, but the idea that is spread all over Turkey as a result. It is a true story, though!
Anyway, there is a version of this sandwich in every Middle Eastern country in the world, which includes the familiar shawarma that I had in Saudi Arabia and Jordan and could never get enough.
Falafel sandwhiches are not all that different at all, except that instead of thinly shaved pieces of meat, fried chickpea fritters are used.
Ingredients
2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
4 to 5 cups sunflower, safflower, or peanut oil for frying
1/2 cup onion (1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion)
1 to 1 1/2 cups cilantro, parsley (Italian or curly), or a mixture of both
3 to 4 cloves garlic (more if you like more)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin (use whole cumin seeds if possible, see below)
1/2 tsp coriander (also see below)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup flour (more if needed)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
This is very simple as most of the ingredients can be mixed in the food processor. However, I recommend a two-step process, as follows.
Drain the soaked beans and grind them in a food processor until they resemble a course, wet, flour. Pour the ground beans into a large bowl and return the processor bowl to the food processor (no need to clean it).
If using whole cumin seeds and coriander seeds, lightly dry toast them in a skillet over medium heat, tossing or stirring, until you can smell their aroma. Place the toasted seeds into a clean coffee grinder (keep a coffee grinder on hand for this purpose, they are cheap and you can get them at the grocery store), and grind until they are as fine as possible. If you are using pre-ground just place them into the mixture according to instructions.
Begin heating your oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. You are aiming for 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the cilantro, parsley, or both into the food processor and chop until very finely mixed. They will be almost liquid. Add the onion, garlic and continue processing until the onion and garlic is finely minced into the mixture. Add this mixture to your ground beans and mix well. Then add all the remaining ingredients, including the ground spices, and mix until everything is very well incorporated. The mixture should hold together somewhat but not be too wet and sticky. If it is very wet, add a bit more flour or bread crumbs. Instead of bread crumbs you can also use bread, which can be placed in the food processor with the vegetables before adding to the beans.
Shape the balls according to your preference, either by hand or using the two-spoon method. I recommend the latter. Make one croquette and place it in the hot oil for a test fry. It should hold together and fry up to a dark brown in just a few minutes. It it falls apart, the mix may be too wet, so add a bit more flour.
Drain the croquette on a wire rack placed on a large baking sheet (better than paper towels but paper towels will do in a pinch). Let it cool just long enough so you can taste it for seasoning. It should be crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside. Add more salt, cumin, or coriander, if you think it is necessary. Once you’ve fried all your remaining Falafel mix, serve them immediately, they dry out quickly and are best when warm and moist.
Place 3 to 4 falafel croquettes into pita bread halves that have been opened to form a pocket. Add Israeli salad and tahini sauce (optional), or yogurt sauce.
Israeli Salad
Ingredients
2 med cucumbers
2 med tomatoes
1/2 sweet bell pepper
1/2 red onion
cilantro, parsley, or both to taste
lettuce like bib or romaine (optional)
1 or 2 lemons, for juice
olive oil
salt
Instructions
If the cucumbers skins are waxed, or if you prefer, peel them. Split the cucumbers down the middle. If they have lots of seeds, scrape them out with a small spoon. Chop all the vegetables into small uniform chunks. Dice the cilantro or parsley. You can also add a bit of mint, if you like.
Mix the vegetable dice together in a bowl and squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Toss together and add salt to taste. Use this to put inside your falafel sandwiches, along with a tablespoon of tahini sauce, or serve it all separately on a plate. If you want some heat, add a hot green pepper to the mix. I’d recommend seeding it.
You can easily scale the recipe up but it’s easier to do it by twos. So to make twice as much, use 4 each of cucumbers and tomatoes and 1 each onion and bell pepper.
Tahini Sauce
I prefer to keep the tahini sauce simple. One typical ingredient you find in lots of recipes is tons of raw garlic. I find all this minced raw garlic in an uncooked sauce to be overwhelming and I’d recommend that you take the radical step of dry roasting your garlic in a skillet, or in the oven, or just leaving it out.
Ingredients
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (more if needed)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/3 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
2 to 3 cloves garlic (raw if you want but try roasting it)
1/2 cup water (more if needed)
salt to taste
1/2 cup to 1 cup plain yogurt (optional)
Instructions
Pour tahini into a medium bowl (don’t use a small bowl). Add the lemon juice, spices, and garlic. Stir together. The tahini will bind up and become very thick. Don’t worry, the water will thin it back down. Add water and mix until a smooth sauce forms. If it is too thick, add more water. Add parsley and salt to taste.
If you want a lighter and more creamy sauce, add as much of the optional plain yogurt as you would like. Just remember to season accordingly. You can also make a plain yogurt sauce, without tahini.
Yogurt Sauce for Falafel
Personally, I prefer a yogurt sauce as I like the cool, light flavor of it, which, to me, goes better with the hearty falafel.
Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek yogurt is great)
1 tbs lemon juice
2 to 3 garlic cloves (see above)
2 tbs minced parsley, cilantro, or both
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
a little minced mint (optional)
salt to taste
Instructions
Mix everything together and season with salt to taste. I think a bit of mint brings it over the top but this is entirely optional
image by Justin McIntosh via wikimedia
Of course the sign has Coca Cola!
Image by יעקב via wikimedia
image Sam Felder via wikimedia
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