2 cups of dried chickpeas (not canned!)
1 onion
½ cup dill
1 cup parsley
½ cup cilantro
Lots of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Any other spices you like!
1 tsp baking powder
Frying oil of your choice ( we use vegetable oil)
(Optional) Chickpea flour
Falafel can be tricky. Oftentimes my nice, round falafel balls just break apart as soon they hit the oil! I’ve found that using dried chickpeas works better than canned chickpeas. Canned chickpeas will be too soft and wet. The day before, start soaking your 2 cups of dried chickpeas. The chickpeas will grow in size as they soak up the water, so make sure there is plenty of water in the bowl. The next day, they’ll be the perfect consistency for falafel. The chickpeas should be able to break apart if squeezed.
Add all your ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend them together until it sticks together when pressed. If it’s too dry and crumbly, you can always add water, a tablespoon at a time, until you get the consistency you need.(Optional): If your falafel is still crumbly, you can always add some chickpea flour to your mixture to help it stick together!
Now that you have your falafel mixture, it’s time to shape them into balls! If you have one, you could use an ice cream scoop with a trigger to form the balls. I always end up using my hands. Compress the mixture tightly between the palms of your hands until you get a nice, tight ball. Let the falafel chill in the fridge for half an hour or so before frying. The cool temperature will help them hold their shape.
Heat up the vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. You can test if the oil is ready by adding a few drops of water into the hot oil. If it sizzles, it’s ready to go! I like to use a deeper pot to keep the hot oil from splashing everywhere. Fry until they are brown and crispy on the outside, but still moist on the inside.
If you’d prefer to bake your falafel, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Serve on a bed of fresh greens with tzatziki or check out our recipe for a spicy cilantro zhoug sauce!