Crispy Chickpea and Herb Falafel
shared by مطبخ Nibblore
These Middle Eastern falafel have a deeply golden, crisp shell and a light green centre flavoured with parsley, coriander and cumin. Using soaked, uncooked chickpeas and drying them thoroughly keeps the mixture firm without making the falafel dense. Serve hot as an appetiser with tahini sauce and pickles. • Soak the chickpeas in advance; the soaking time is not included in the preparation time, and they do not need to be cooked afterwards. • Thorough drying and coarse processing help prevent the falafel from breaking apart while keeping the centre light rather than pasty. • Use a frying thermometer: oil that is too cool makes greasy falafel, while excessively hot oil browns the outside before the centre cooks. • Add the bicarbonate of soda only immediately before shaping and frying so it retains its leavening effect. • Replace the fresh coriander with an equal amount of parsley if you do not enjoy its flavour. • Replace the chickpea flour with the same amount of fine rice flour, adding only 1 extra teaspoon if the mixture seems loose. • Replace the cayenne pepper with 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, or omit it entirely. • Use sunflower, rapeseed or grapeseed oil for frying, provided it has a neutral flavour and high smoke point. Once cool, refrigerate fried falafel in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze them in a single layer, then transfer to an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 months. To restore their crispness, reheat refrigerated falafel at 200°C for 8–10 minutes or frozen falafel for 15–18 minutes; microwaving is not recommended. The uncooked mixture can be refrigerated without the bicarbonate of soda for up to 24 hours.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Keep this recipe in your family cookbook — free forever.
Save recipeIngredients
- 300 gdried chickpeas, soaked in cold water for 12–18 hours
- 1 mediumyellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 clovesgarlic, peeled
- 30 gfresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
- 25 gfresh coriander leaves and tender stems
- 2 tbspchopped spring onion
- 2 tspground cumin
- 1 ½ tspground coriander
- 1 ¼ tspfine salt
- ½ tspground black pepper
- ¼ tspground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbspfresh lemon juice
- 2 tbspchickpea flour
- 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbspwhite sesame seeds
- 750 ml, approximatelyneutral vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Instructions
- 1Drain the soaked chickpeas thoroughly, spread them over a clean tea towel and pat them completely dry. They should weigh approximately 600 g after soaking; do not use cooked or tinned chickpeas, as they will make the mixture too soft.
- 2Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, fresh coriander and spring onion to a 2-litre food processor, working in two batches if necessary. Pulse in short bursts, scraping down the sides two or three times, until the mixture resembles coarse couscous and holds together when pressed; do not process it into a smooth paste.
- 3Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the cumin, ground coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and chickpea flour. Mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to make shaping easier.
- 4Preheat the oven to 100°C and set a wire rack over a baking tray to keep the cooked batches warm. Pour the oil into a medium heavy-based saucepan to a depth of at least 5 cm, then heat over medium heat to 175°C.
- 5Stir the bicarbonate of soda and sesame seeds evenly into the falafel mixture immediately before frying. Shape a heaped 2 tablespoons of mixture into a patty approximately 5 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick, pressing gently so it holds together. Repeat to make approximately 18 patties.
- 6Fry one test patty for 3–4 minutes, turning it after 2 minutes, until deep golden brown and cooked through. If it falls apart, mix an additional 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour into the mixture; if it is dense and dry, add 1 teaspoon of water.
- 7Fry the remaining patties in 3 or 4 batches without overcrowding the pan, cooking each batch for 3–4 minutes and keeping the oil between 170°C and 175°C. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the falafel to the wire rack, then keep them in the warm oven for no longer than 15 minutes. Serve immediately while hot and crisp.