Homemade Falafel Recipe
“Airy with indulgent flavor.”
Ital Itali
Original Recipe Author
There are various reasons why falafels are a favorite among many people worldwide. But the main reason it moved all the way from the Middle East to the rest of the world is that it’s incredibly delicious!
Moreover, it’s both vegan-friendly and lactose-free, making it an excellent choice for people with special diets.
So, today we’ll show you how to turn your chickpeas into a culinary masterpiece with our Homemade Falafel Recipe.
Let’s get started!
Why this Homemade Falafel Recipe is A MUST-try:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Homemade Falafel Recipe
Do you have a tip for the falafel to be airy and not dense?
Absolutely! You can use a little bit of baking soda in this recipe to help the falafel become fluffier.
Does it make a difference if the chickpeas are soaked in the fridge or on the counter?
Not at all. The end result would be the same.
Homemade Falafel Recipe
Ingredients
Pitas:
- ¼ cup oil
- 1¼ tbsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 2 lbs. white spelt flour (1 kg)
- 2 oz. fresh yeast (50 g or 2 tbsp. dry yeast)
- 3½ cups lukewarm water [6 fl. oz. cup (180 ml])
Falafel:
- Salt
- Cumin
- Black pepper
- A bit of turmeric
- 3 cups chickpeas
- A bit of baking soda
- 1 hot green pepper
- A bushel of parsley
- A bushel of cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion (cut)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- Some lemon juice or pickle brine (optional)
Instructions
Pitas:
- Start by mixing all the pita ingredients in a bowl (minus the salt) until well combined.
- Add the salt and continue kneading when you notice the dough coming together.
- Place a towel over the bowl and let the dough rest for about 40 minutes.
- Once the 40 minutes are over, flour your countertop and form balls.
- Let the balls rest for another 20 minutes.
- If you want your pitas thin, roll the balls to about ¼” thickness (½ cm)—this will allow you to create more pitas too!
- After the 20 minutes, turn on your oven/electric grill/ pot-pizza oven and bake the pitas.
- When they’re done baking, place the pitas in a plastic bag to keep them soft as they cool down.
Falafel:
- The first step in making your falafel is to let the chickpeas soak in some baking soda overnight.
- The following morning, rinse the chickpeas and place them in a food processor bowl with the hot green pepper, parsley, cilantro, garlic, red bell pepper, and onion.
- Start blending the ingredients into a thick batter, then cover and store it in the fridge overnight.
- When the next day rolls in, add the rest of your seasoning to the batter (the salt, black pepper, cumin, baking powder, and lemon juice or pickle brine) and mix them well.
- Let the batter soak up the seasoning while you heat the oil in a small pot—remember to lower the heat when the oil gets hot.
- Finally, form little balls and fry the falafel until golden brown.
Tips
- To stop your falafel from crumbling or falling apart, make sure you only use soaked, dry chickpeas to make them.
- You don’t need to cook the chickpeas for the falafel. In fact, for the perfect fluffy results, you just have to soak the chickpeas for at least two days with a tablespoon of baking soda.
- Remember to process the batter for at least two minutes to release the protein.
The longer you leave the batter resting in the fridge, the better it’ll be! This is because the protein is released, and all the liquids are soaked up. - When frying, avoid using a Teflon-coated pan. These pans usually get too hot and will cause your falafel to fall apart.
- Add some lemon juice or pick brine to the batter to give it a zesty sour taste.
If you want, you can add some ground green hot pepper for an extra kick too!
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Oh, and we almost forgot!
This Homemade Falafel Recipe is a part of our Lunch Series. Click NOW for more fun ideas you don’t wanna miss!
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