Falafel is a traditionally Arab food. The word falafel may descend from the Arabic word falāfil, a plural of the word filfil, meaning “pepper.” These fried vegetarian fritters are often served along with hummus and tahini sauce (known as a “falafel plate.”) They’re also great served with toum, a Middle Eastern garlic sauce. So just what is the history of this tasty little fritter? According to The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food by Gil Marks, “The first known appearance of legume fritters (aka falafel) in the Middle East appears to be in Egypt, where they were made from dried white fava beans (ful nabed) and called tamiya/ta-amia (from the Arabic for ‘nourishment’); these fritters were a light green color inside. Many attribute tamiya to the Copts of Egypt, who practiced one of the earliest forms of Christianity. They believed that the original state of humankind was vegetarian and, therefore, mandated numerous days of eating only vegan food, including tamiya.”
When falafel is made the traditional way, is indeed a vegan food; it’s a great source of protein for people who have cut meat out of their diet. It’s relatively low in fat and has no cholesterol if you fry it in heart-healthy grapeseed oil. And if you top it with veggies in a pita, it becomes a filling and nourishing meal! Sure beats a Big Mac, if you ask me.
In Israel, falafel has been adopted from Arab cuisine and the version made with chickpeas is wildly popular. Falafel stands are as numerous and plentiful in Israel as fast food restaurants are here in the U.S. Falafel is also fast and easy, but more nourishing and better for your heart than burgers and fries. The idea of stuffing falafel into pita pockets is actually an invention of Yemenite Jewish immigrants to Israel. The introduction of pita sandwiches made falafel portable, which expanded its popularity and made it into the number one “fast food” in Israel.
On my trip to Israel this past summer, one of the last stops we made was for a falafel pita. I asked our friend Hagai to take us to his favorite falafel joint, Mana Mana, on Yehuda Hamaccabi street in Tel Aviv. At that time it was run by a three-generation family—grandfather, father, and son. The young son ran the cash register with the confidence and authority of a 40 year-old. Apparently the restaurant has changed management since then, so I can’t vouch for the food now, but at the time they made a truly delicious falafel—crispy on the outside, hot and fluffy on the inside, with fresh toppings grown on local kibbutzim.
My favorite way to make a falafel pita… start with a layer of hummus deep inside the pocket, then add the falafel, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. Top with a thin layer of tahini sauce. Okay, I’m making myself hungry! 🙂
Here is my recipe for falafel, along with a few variations you can try. Falafel was originally made with fava beans and continues to be made this way in Egypt and other Arab countries, but Israeli falafel is almost universally made from chickpeas. This is because many Jews have a medical deficiency called G6PD, a hereditary enzymatic deficiency that can be triggered by fava beans. I have included an Egyptian falafel recipe variation at the end of the blog if you would like to try making it that way. It’s greener and spicier than the Classic Falafel.
You will need to soak dried chickpeas overnight for your falafel to turn out right; canned beans are too tender and contain too much moisture to achieve the right consistency. Don’t cook the beans, because this will result in a mushier and denser falafel, which is not the proper texture. I’ve also included instructions for constructing your own falafel pita. As they say in Israel, Bete’avon!
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Video by Entice Films
Falafel
6 servings
12 hours
40 minutes
Parve
Description
Learn to make chickpea falafel the traditional way with multiple variations. Includes recipe, how to video and photo tutorial.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans - you must start with dry, do NOT substitute canned, they will not work!
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3-5 cloves garlic (I prefer roasted garlic cloves)
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour or chickpea flour
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- Vegetable oil for frying - grapeseed, sunflower, avocado, canola, and peanut oils all work well
Recipe Notes
You will also need: food processor, skillet
Makes 30-34 falafel balls. Serving size is roughly 5 falafels each. Nutrition is calculated with the assumption that each falafel ball absorbs 1/2 tsp of oil. This is my best estimate; when they are fried at the proper temperature, the falafel absorb very little of the cooking oil. The nutritional information provided here is calculated using an app. If you have specific dietary concerns, please consult your doctor or nutritionist.
A note on freezing: I have had several readers ask about freezing this recipe. I have never tried it myself, but here are some tips left from the comments -- some readers have had good luck with freezing the mix, then thawing it the night before in the refrigerator before frying. Sometimes a little more flour or chickpea flour is needed to hold the mixture together after freezing,. Some readers have had luck with forming the balls, freezing those, then frying them straight from the freezer. Some have successfully frozen the finished cooked falafel, defrosting as needed.
Instructions
Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water. Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak – you will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well. Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour or chickpea flour (use chickpea flour to make gluten free), salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom. NOTE: if you have a smaller food processor, you will want to divide the ingredients in half and process the mixture one batch at a time.
Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together, and a more paste-like consistency will help with that... but don't overprocess, you don't want it turning into hummus!
Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Note: Some people like to add baking soda to the mix to lighten up the texture inside of the falafel balls. I don’t usually add it, since the falafel is generally pretty fluffy on its own. If you would like to add it, dissolve 2 tsp of baking soda in 1 tbsp of water and mix it into the falafel mixture after it has been refrigerated.
Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches. I prefer to use cooking oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat. The ideal temperature to fry falafel is between 360 and 375 degrees F; the best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer. After making these a few times, you will start to get a feel for when the oil temperature is "right."
Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop. I usually use about 2 tbsp of mixture per falafel. You can make them smaller or larger depending on your personal preference. The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry.
If the balls won't hold together, place the mixture back in the processor again and continue processing to make it more paste-like. Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they will bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour or chickpea flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix. This should fix any issues you are having.
Before frying my first batch of falafel, I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan. If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again.
When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.
Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.
Let them drain on paper towels. Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce. You can also stuff them into a pita.
Troubleshooting: If your falafel is too hard/too crunchy on the outside, there are two possible reasons-- 1) you didn't process the mixture enough-- return the chickpea mixture to the processor to make it more paste-like. 2) the chickpeas you used were old. Try buying a fresher batch of dried chickpeas next time.
SESAME FALAFEL VARIATION: After forming the balls or patties, dip them in sesame seeds prior to frying. This will make the falafel coating crunchier and give it a slightly nutty flavor.
HERB FALAFEL VARIATION (GREEN FALAFEL): Add ½ cup additional chopped green parsley, or cilantro, or a mixture of the two prior to blending.
TURMERIC FALAFEL (YELLOW FALAFEL): Add ¾ tsp turmeric to the food processor prior to blending.
EGYPTIAN FAVA BEAN FALAFEL: Use 1 lb. dried fava beans instead of chickpeas; cover them with cold water, soak them for at least 24 hours, then drain, rinse and peel them. You can also use a mixture of soaked fava beans and chickpeas if you wish; just make sure the weight of the dried beans adds up to 1 lb.
After the beans are soaked and rinsed, add the Classic Falafel ingredients to the processor along with the following ingredients – 1 leek, cleaned, trimmed, and quartered; ¼ cup chopped dill; ¼ cup chopped cilantro; and an additional ¾ tsp cayenne pepper. When mixture is processed to a coarse meal, pour into a bowl. Stir 2 ½ tbsp sesame seeds into the mixture with a fork until it’s evenly dispersed throughout the mixture. Refrigerate and proceed with frying. If mixture seems too “wet” when making the falafel balls, add additional flour by the teaspoonful until the mixture sticks together better. Continue with frying.
HOW TO MAKE A FALAFEL PITA: Making a falafel pita is actually really simple. The two main ingredients are pita bread and falafel.
Cut the pita bread in half to form two “pockets.” Each pocket is a serving size. Stuff the pocket with falafel, as well as any add-ons you fancy.
Here are some traditional add-ons that can be added to your pita; these are the ingredients most widely available at falafel stands throughout Israel: Tahini sauce, shredded lettuce, diced or sliced tomatoes, Israeli salad, onions, dill pickles, hummus, tabouli, french fries
Here are some less traditional add-ons that are also tasty: sprouts, cucumber slices, roasted peppers, roasted eggplant slices, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, yogurt, tzatziki
Francesca says
May 3, 2018 at 7:22 amI made these a couple weeks back and they came out great! I had to do mine in small batches as only had a small hand blender processor, so I was splitting out the spices as evenly as possible! First time making falafel in general and after a lot of research was great to find one with spices and methods this seemed more authentic than others. Will 100% be making these again and may have to try the other versions too!! I wrote a post about these on my blog so that I can spread the word on your amazing recipe! Hope you don’t mind 🙂
Chef Connie Kays says
April 30, 2018 at 11:24 amI am a professional chef and I am impressed with how well you have explained how to make falafel. Very good job. Most blogs just copy a recipe from Alton Brown or someone else and it is clear you not only did research but throughly thought through your post.
Sal says
April 29, 2018 at 5:25 amI made these today with lots of parsley. What a beautiful grren colour. I fried a few and baked the rest in plenty of coconut oil. Delicious. Made a garlic lemon tahini sauce to go with them. Wow
Danny says
April 24, 2018 at 9:58 pmHey Tori,
I am impressed with how you wrote about the history and background of the falafel. I, too, enjoy knowing where classic dishes come from. I am adding falafel to my international comfort food concept on my food truck and was doing a bit of research before I go into recipe testing. Thanks for the ideas!
Danny Cohen / Chef-Owner
Sharon Manoe says
April 24, 2018 at 1:47 amMade these for dinner tonight , they were so good and. easy to follow recipe that is perfect. Thank you so much . This will be a regular meal in our home .
TOOTZI says
April 20, 2018 at 12:30 pmAt Disney Worlds – Epcot – I had lunch at Marrakesh – loved the food & im Vegan !
So, I asked Siri to give me recipe for your falafels ! Wonderful
Jenny says
April 20, 2018 at 8:24 amI love falafel and I have made them before but now I must try the EGYPTIAN and the SESAME falafel they sound delicious 🙂 Thanks for sharing
James says
April 19, 2018 at 9:51 pmExcellent Recipe !
Just checking out another person’s approach ,
pretty much the same as the one I’ve developed over the years .
Like the Grape seed oil suggestion and the cooking temperature range .
Thank-you Tori ! ! !
FIVE STARS !
Jennifer says
April 18, 2018 at 5:10 pmI’ve made this recipe twice now and am amazed at how delicious it is. Better than any frozen or restaurant falafel hands down. I couldn’t find chick pea flour so I used King Arthur’s Gluten-free All Purpose Flour and it works great. I did freeze the leftovers to see how they’d hold up. After a week I thawed them and reheated them two different ways. Lightly pan frying in oil will make them crispy but tough. I found microwaving better because even though they’re not as crispy, they’re still nice and soft in the center. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Mel says
April 17, 2018 at 6:38 pmHi Tori! I hardly ever leave comments but I just wanted to say that I just used your falafel recipe to make falafels for the first time and it is a hit! My hubby loves them and so do I! The directions were perfect and they came out great! Easy and delicious! This is my go-to recipe for falafels. Thank you for sharing, I’ll have a look at your other recipes ? 🙂
Tori Avey says
April 17, 2018 at 8:17 pmVery glad you enjoyed it Mel!
Holly says
April 16, 2018 at 9:32 pmHello. Was so excited to try this. Turned out not great. I have no idea what went wrong but it was unfortunately a waste of ingredients.
Tori Avey says
April 17, 2018 at 8:16 pmSorry to hear that Holly! Did you by chance use cooked chickpeas? That seems to be the most common error.
Ashley says
April 13, 2018 at 1:06 pmSeriously…this is the best falafel I’ve ever had. And thanks to Tori, they were made by me! Crispy, crunchy outside, fluffy on the inside, and packed with so much flavor! Thank you!
Renee says
April 6, 2018 at 12:08 pmI made this today and the falafels turned out beautifully! I have a low end food processor and I realized I need to upgrade, this recipe is worth it. But they STILL turned out amazing. I added some turmeric for the yellow version. The other spices taste wonderfully, and the crunchy texture adds depth. I served them with lettuce wraps and yogurt sauce.
I made falafel once from a mix, and I’ve always wanted to make them from scratch. Thanks so much for the recipe Tori!
Tori Avey says
April 7, 2018 at 9:57 amYou’re welcome Renee!
Imelda says
March 31, 2018 at 5:00 amMade these for my first time falafel recipe ever. Magnificent! OMG.. I found that when I placed them in the frying oil by hand they tended to break so I used a spoon for the rest. It seems important to not move them in the oil for about 2 minutes; otherwise they break too. The recipe is very well explained. I’ll be looking through your other recipes.
Grazyna says
March 30, 2018 at 5:33 amDear Tori
I’ve searched for a traditional recipe for both my brother in law and wegetarian side of my family. It’s going to be a main course douring Easter meal. Why? The brother in law is a retired soldier now. But quite a few years ago he was a part of Polish contingent on Golan Heights when I was a teenager. One of his memories from is falafel.
Send love and thanks*
*what a small world
Tori Avey says
March 30, 2018 at 12:59 pmVery cool Graznya! Enjoy 🙂
Shoo Shoo says
March 28, 2018 at 8:12 pmTHIS WAS LIFECHANGING. Hands down BEST falafel I’ve ever had!! It was my first time (successfully) frying things too!! At first, I thought my chickpeas were too old because they were still crunchy after soaking overnight (I thought they would be soft like canned ones), but to those who make this for the first time, no worries it’s supposed to be like that 🙂 Also, I ended up using my blender (Blendtec) on the lowest speed for 1.5 rounds until it was like a couscous+paste like mixture like she said above, scraping the sides so it all blends evenly and it worked perfect. I ate 4 immediately…I was so shocked at how good they taste. I added turmeric, used roasted garlic, and added 1/2 cup of parsley total. Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
Jennifer says
March 20, 2018 at 5:00 pmWe just back from Middle East, visiting Egypt, Israel/Palestine, and Jordan. We did notice the falafel difference! Thanks for all the information regarding the differences! Now I just have to get to making the recipes! Thanks!!!!
Mary says
March 16, 2018 at 2:03 pmMade this recipe and the results were delicious! I lightly fried half in my cast iron skillet with some grapeseed oil, and the rest I baked (oiled the baking sheet and brushed the tops with oil as well). The pan fried are tastier for sure, baked come out a bit drier but are still good and it’s less of a mess.
Nat says
March 9, 2018 at 6:52 pmI love that you included a little history and variations very excited to make these today!
Greg says
March 9, 2018 at 5:40 pmLove, love, love this recipe — thanks so much for all the pics — thanks to them I’ve become a whiz at making falafel
Saba says
March 7, 2018 at 8:32 pmMost recipes call for baking soda? Do you not need it for this recipe?
Tori Avey says
March 7, 2018 at 9:03 pmIf you read through the recipe I mention it. It’s not necessary, but you can add it if you would like to. I don’t find it makes a difference in texture.
Yasmen says
April 5, 2018 at 9:42 amYou can also add 1 tsp of baking powder into the mixture or rice flour. I am from Dubai. There are variations in recipes. You can add salt, pepper, cumin, 7-8 cloves of garlic, parsley, dill and cilantro. Really amazing flavor for authentic flavor. Just giving some ideas. Have fun. Also good to serve with garlic yogurt sauce
Abed says
February 24, 2018 at 4:50 amThanks for sharing your recipe… Perfection made simple !
Melo Gardener says
February 22, 2018 at 9:55 amYou are first class and thank you for sharing the falafel recipes…we are needing to maintain healthy eating and your recipes always hit the mark!
Laura says
February 21, 2018 at 9:26 pmWow these are delicious!!! My daughter and I are enjoying them along with your tahini recipe. Thank you thank you so much for sharing these recipes!!
Tori Avey says
February 22, 2018 at 12:17 pmYou’re welcome Laura!
Kev says
February 19, 2018 at 11:27 amBeautiful backstory to this vegan wonder food – but most importantly explained why my tinned chickpeas were resulting in sub-par falafels.
Beautiful description and photos on how to fry them too, thank you so much.
Off too my local whole food store to buy some dried beans and get cooking. I’ve got a jar of Romesco sauce that will go so well with these 🙂
Helene Eisenberg says
February 18, 2018 at 2:32 pmA great recipe. Thank you for inspiring me to make my own falafel, it’s become a standard at my house.
A few tweaks:
For an 11 cup food processor, ten ounces of chickpeas is a little easier to handle. If spiced as in the recipe, without cutting down, the result is lively. For green falafel, a cup and a half of very fresh chopped parsley is not too much for the ten ounces. I might try it with even more, tripling the amount of parsley greatly improves most dishes, stuffings, etc.
I use tiny chickpeas, a different species from the big common ones, bought from a store with a high rate of turnover so they are very fresh. They swell to the accustomed size. Why? These are authentic to the middle east and make better, smoother hummous, so I had tgem on hand.
This falafel comes out beautifully, it even tastes good raw. I bake them briefly, serve on a bed of salad, topped with tahina sauce. For the best tahini paste, made without benefit of modern technology, Karawan brand, now on Amazon. Not the bitter, hard stuff you get in supermarkets.
Ale says
February 15, 2018 at 1:46 pmHi! Very good and well explained recipe, thank you! but I disagree when you recommend grapeseed oil as good for frying. Oil with high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (70%) are not good for very high temperature cooking such as frying. High monounsaturated f.a. (>50%) oils are suggested instead, for example olive, canola, high oleic sunflower seeds, peanuts.
Linda says
February 14, 2018 at 11:27 amHello,
Are these suitable for freezing? And if so, how should they be reheated (baked, deep fried, microwaved?
Thank You
Tori Avey says
February 15, 2018 at 10:45 pmHi Linda, please read through the comments – lots of advice from other readers on this point.
Veronique says
February 14, 2018 at 7:08 amI’ve never had them before, so have nothing to compare them to…but mine are definitely not fluffy on the inside – instead they’re slightly stodgy.
They’re delicious,and I’m happy to eat them that way, but feel I’m missing out a bit!
Is my mix too wet or am I squishing them together too much?
Any advice is welcome as I have a lot of uncooked mixture left that I’d love to fix!
Tori Avey says
February 15, 2018 at 10:47 pmHi Veronique, if they are not fluffy it may have to do with the amount that you processed the mixture (too much or not quite enough), and it may also have to do with oil temperature. The oil needs to be “just right” with the heat in order to achieve the proper texture with a crisp exterior. As with all things, practice makes perfect. 🙂
Nel says
February 14, 2018 at 1:45 amThis recipe works great without any need of flour or eggs. I don’t have a food processor. Instead, I use my Omega ‘masticating’ juicer to grind the chickpeas, and add in everything else chopped very fine by hand. I don’t like to fry things (I have no idea what to do with all that leftover oil!) so I just put some oil in a glass baking dish and heat that in the oven, then add the falafel balls and bake them, turning them from time to time. Not as flavorful, frankly, as they were when I cooked them in oil (fat brings out flavor) but delicious anyway.
Definitely my go-to recipe for falafel. I won’t be looking for another recipe.
Sev says
February 11, 2018 at 7:31 pmI made falafel according to this recipe. I also added 2 eggs and only around 1 cup of flour. It turned out very tasty
sri says
February 9, 2018 at 7:20 pmI made this and my husband loved them. Thank you for the recipe.
I put leftovers in a ziplock, they weren’t crispy on the next day. What is the best way to store them for a day or two?
Tori Avey says
February 15, 2018 at 11:00 pmHi Sri, unfortunately falafel are one of those things that always taste best freshly fried. They don’t keep or reheat well.
Kirstina Fairweather says
February 8, 2018 at 11:41 amEpic, epic, epic. I haven’t had decent falafel since I left New York in 1995. Made these for the 1st time & can’t believe how well they turned out. My husband ( who had shop bought falafel for the 1st last week & was unimpressed to say the least) was really impressed with these. We cheated slightly & popped the mixture into the freezer for 20 mins instead of 1 to 2 hours in the fridge. Thank you for this recipe, I love these.
Ayesha says
February 8, 2018 at 8:27 amI love this recipe. Tried couple other before I found this. It’s the best and authentic one :)))
Can we prepare the batter and make the balls and freeze it? Will it be okay?
Jackie says
February 7, 2018 at 6:30 pmI plan to bring prepared falafel to a freind’s house, this will be unable to serve them immediately after cooking. Given the following two options, which would you reccommend:
1. Prepare falafel mixture and refrigerate overnight, then cook just prior to serving.
2. Cook falafel then refrigerate overnight, and reheat in oven just prior to serving.
Thanks!! And the falafel mixture tastes amazing even prior to frying!
Tori Avey says
February 7, 2018 at 10:21 pmI would make the mixture ahead and fry them just before serving.
Joelle says
February 6, 2018 at 12:31 pmI made this in the summer, it turned out amazing! Have you tried baking the falafel in the oven?
Jo says
February 3, 2018 at 6:57 amStep 5 says Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Would I get the same results if I refrigerate overnight instead of 1-2 hours. I was hoping to make these for a quick weeknight meal. Thank you!
Susan says
January 31, 2018 at 10:09 amThanks Tori for the recipe. I’ve made this recipe several times now. I add more of the spices and some sumac. I bake the falafels and the come out great. We all love them! Will always use your recipe.
Shirley Carleson says
January 30, 2018 at 1:45 pmHi,
Just made this falafel recipe and I am pleased with the results. The recipe makes so much, however, that I am wondering if some of the falafel can be frozen for later use. If so, how would that be done?
Thank you,
Smc
Glenn S says
January 28, 2018 at 5:12 pmThese are absolutely the best falafels! Thanks for this recipe. at first attempt I made 2 and they fell apart but a few more pulses in the food processor and they were just perfect. I made a falafel bowl with quinoa tossed with olive oil, fresh lemon, parsley, cilantro, diced carrrots and kalamata olives, diced cukes, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced red cabbage, shredded red leaf lettuce and a heaping spoon of hummus topped with a few drizzles of Trader Joes Goddess dressing (tahini based). I have some pictures too 🙂
Georgina says
January 28, 2018 at 11:45 amThank you so much for this recipe! I just made them for the first time and they turned out perfect (even though I forgot to chill the mixture first). I can’t believe how easy they were to make! I rolled them in sesame seeds and shallow fried in organic rapeseed oil and they were the best falafel I’ve ever tasted – even approved by my little fussy eater too! ?
Eugenia says
January 21, 2018 at 8:18 amHow many cups of soaked chickpeas go into the food processor?
Linda says
January 21, 2018 at 5:23 amTori, just found this recipe and as a big lover of falafel which I first had in Egypt many years ago I’m really looking forward to trying it. I was wondering, is there any reason these can’t be done in the oven as opposed to frying? Thanks, Linda
Dave says
January 19, 2018 at 5:52 amThanks for your input Tori.
The thing that l had specifically noticed was that when they were placed into the 300 F oil the oil began to bubble up furiously unlike my previous (successful) attempt. This led me to believe there may have been too much moisture in the mix or the oil too hot.
I will be making another batch and will do as l had done previously freezing 1/2 my peas for future use just to see if that is the issue and make the balls a bit drier when using the frozen peas.
Thanks for adding the oil temps but l believe l was within the limits.
I would have reprocessed the frozen batch but had coated the balls in sesame seed so l decided to bake them in the oven …not my idea and they were too dry when baked.
Dave says
January 17, 2018 at 8:04 amTori,
I had previously made your falafel recipe and it was absolutely fabulous!
My first issue came when l could find no cooking oil temperature so l just set it around 260 degrees but of coarse it drops when the falafels are added but all came out well.
I had soaked and prepared the chic peas for two batches but only made one the other 3 cups of peas l placed in a zip bag and froze.
Now l used that second batch the other day and thawed the peas prior to assembling the recipe but when l placed the balls in the frying oil they bubbled up rapidly and basicly just disintegrated into the oil, which l had brought up to 300 degrees.
Could it be there was too much moisture in them?, they formed up and held together well but when they hit the oil ….
It was a bit of an embarrassment as l was preparing them for a small dinner party and that was a complete flop.
I know l will make them again but wanted your thoughts on what may have went wrong.
Regards
Dave
Tori Avey says
January 17, 2018 at 11:27 amHi Dave. Sorry you had trouble this time! The ideal temperature to fry falafel is between 360 and 375 degrees F. I’m not sure if the temp you used is celsius or Fahrenheit. If it was 260 Fahrenheit, it was far too low. If the oil is not hot enough, the falafels will not “bind” when they hit the oil. There are ways to test the oil temp as noted above, but I will add the temp to the recipe for further clarification. As for the pre-soaked and frozen beans, I have not frozen and defrosted soaked beans for this recipe before. I wouldn’t think it should be a problem, but can’t be certain. I really think oil temp is the culprit here.
dave says
January 19, 2018 at 7:07 amOh l had forgot to ask..about soaking the peas..do you remove the skins or just process them? I have done both and prefer to remove skin when making hummus but not sure about with falafels?
Dave
Tori Avey says
January 19, 2018 at 12:37 pmHi Dave, no need to remove the skins for falafel. 🙂 Please report back on your next batch, would love to know if freezing was indeed the issue!
dave says
January 19, 2018 at 2:07 pmWill Do and thanks again!
Dave says
April 28, 2018 at 7:23 amTori! It was the oil temperature! Being Canadian and living in Florida for half the year l do get confused between Celsius and Fahrenheit. I am preparing a double batch today and was just reading the thermometer and just realized that l was referencing a mark on the thermometer and not the actual temperature..DUH?
I am loving these and my last successful batch l had made them a bit larger so as not to be too crunchy. I love the fact that you can mix up the recipe with tumeric or cilantro ,sesame seeds etc. Todays batch l have added some spring onions and a bit of cayanne pepper. Can’t wait! Oh the freezing of the chic peas made no difference, you just have to let them air dry a bit to remove any accumulated moisture from the freezing!
Tori Avey says
April 29, 2018 at 8:05 pmGreat! Glad it worked out for you 🙂
Jacob says
January 14, 2018 at 8:36 amThx
Fantastic we made it and sticking with these falafels??
JKL Norway
Laura says
January 13, 2018 at 6:22 pmHello Renee,
Thanks for the amazing recipe!! I just made them and they were absolutely amazing. My sister thinks they were a little too spicy but I can adjust that in the next batch.
I made them all, let them cool down and freeze them. They make the most wonderful snack or late dinner.
Lauren Jenkin says
January 12, 2018 at 11:06 pmThis recipe is fantastic. I have made a few kinds of Tori’s falafel now to put on a Meze plate for friends. It suits the gluten free, paleo, vego, vegan people, everyone, and is delicious! If you follow Tori’s advice, they turn out prefect every time and wont fall apart…. I have had a few disasters in the past, mostly with canned chickpeas! Thanks Tori for the recipe and excellent photographic tutorial, totally love your website by the way, it’s by far my favorite cooking one (k)
Tori Avey says
January 13, 2018 at 11:26 amThank you so much Lauren! I appreciate your kind comment.
Patrick says
January 12, 2018 at 11:57 amI live in Antwerp Belgium and so, I love real good falafel with perfect garlic sauce and hot onions..
I look forward to try this recipe.
Thanks for sharing it.
Kind Regards,
Patrick
Renee greene says
January 10, 2018 at 8:27 pmTotally fascinated by hummus (a recent discovery for this 70yr old) and then tasted falafel. Now, I am really fascinated ! Simple must learn to prepare both myself. Found your site and I must say that your presentation of the recipe (falafel) is clear and easy to understand. PS. Like many older citizens, we are moving toward vegetarian because we cannot tolerate statins (cholesterol drugs). Our diets, by necessity, are being grossly altered. The surprise is that we are pleasantly surprised how much we enjoy the foods (most) and some new spices (oh yeah) and we are having some FUN ! Thank you for this site! From NE Tennessee USA
Tori Avey says
January 10, 2018 at 9:49 pmSo happy to hear it is helpful Renee!
Mikey Mike says
January 9, 2018 at 11:58 amNice recipe. I always see recipes where they use canned chickpeas that are cooked. I like to see small techniques such as yours. I have a question. How many individual falafels does this recipe make? It says 6 servings but somewhere else it says 30 -34 balls. Just curious because I’m planning a vegan dinner party and I want to make these.
Tori Avey says
January 10, 2018 at 9:55 pmThe recipe makes 30-34 falafel balls and assumes around 5 balls per serving. Canned chickpeas won’t cut it; try this method, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy!
Jason says
January 8, 2018 at 10:17 amAbsolutely love this recipe
Jason says
January 8, 2018 at 10:21 amAbsolutely fantastic flavors. I found a good mix with the herb falafel and adding tumeric. And since I usually forget to soak the chickpeas every time, I do a quick soak by boiling them for 5 minutes, cover, then let them sit for 2 hours. Rinse and then dry them and they are good to go. I found baking them is less time consuming as well. I usually make 3 batches and freeze them for meal prep.
Kathy says
January 7, 2018 at 4:40 pmThese are very good – perfection!!! Very authentic healthy flavour. I lightly sautéed them in a little EVO and there were great.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Susanna says
January 5, 2018 at 6:52 pmHi, I am so excited to try this recipe. My question is about soaking the beans. Will they become soft like canned beans or stay a little hard? Do I soak in cold water or warm?
Tori Avey says
January 8, 2018 at 11:39 amThey will not be as soft as cooked beans after soaking, but they will be somewhat tender. Soak in cold or room temperature water.
Joyce says
January 5, 2018 at 3:51 amMade half the recipe. The falafel came out superb. Thanks for the tip on testing the temperature of the oil. The first one was undercooked so I was glad I tested.
monica says
January 4, 2018 at 10:32 amHi Tory, this morning I was looking for falafel recipie and …. I just made it, with any flour. It was so easy and really delicius. Thanks for sharing!!!
Lauren says
January 3, 2018 at 2:54 pmCan I soak the chick peas and then just refrigerate for a day or so until I’m ready to make the mixture? Or can the mixture be frozen abd then thawed when ready to make?
Steve Wagar says
January 2, 2018 at 8:43 amAirfry. I’ve made this quite a few times, I agree this is the perfect recipe, but I’ve been using my air fryer — 12 minutes at 370. It avoids a number of negatives of frying — healthier, no cost of oil, no risk of burns, easier cleanup. Also, I consider tahini sauce mandatory. My recipe: 4 oz tahini, 4 oz water, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp parsley, sriracha to taste, blend well.
Lori Franko says
December 25, 2017 at 1:26 pmI’ve used this recipe lots of times and I recommend it to my friends. They turn out perfectly every time! If you’ve never made your own falafel, just do what Tori says. Thanks for sharing it!
pam carter says
December 24, 2017 at 3:23 amIs it possible to make them in advance and keep them in the fridge till frying
Cindy says
December 21, 2017 at 2:06 pmAm I reading this right? The beans are soaked but not cooked?
Tori Avey says
December 21, 2017 at 8:51 pmYes you are correct. 🙂 They cook as they’re frying.
Cindy Eby says
December 24, 2017 at 9:50 amI have been trying to make good falafel for over 30 years since I first tasted it, but every try has ended in failure. Now I know why. Soaked, but not cooked beans are the answer. Thank you so much for giving me the secret.
Rich Price says
December 20, 2017 at 7:46 amNever made these mainly because I try to avoid fryed food. That being said, I’m making some. As my cousin in law with the stint operation says “once a year” ?
Denil says
December 18, 2017 at 8:09 amPls teach how to make the sauce to go along with the falafel
Tori Avey says
January 15, 2018 at 1:02 pmHi Denil, falafel is traditionally served with either toum sauce or tahini sauce. Click the names of the sauces for recipes.
Peter Parley says
December 15, 2017 at 8:32 pmWhat is the best way to keep/reheat unused falafel? This recipe is great and everyone ate a fillings worth but we have some left over. Can we freeze them/is it better to oven heat or microwave them? Thanks!
Helene Eisenberg says
February 18, 2018 at 11:03 amFreeze the mixture, defrost, then make the balls.
Cynthia says
December 15, 2017 at 7:37 amJust wondering when you say soak overnight…….how long is that? Go to bed at 9 up at 7? I’m afraid to soak too long….
Tori Avey says
December 15, 2017 at 8:39 amIt’s not an exact science. Anything around 10-12 hours will work. You can even soak them longer, just be sure to change the water every 12 hours for food safety.
Sharron Owens-Jones says
December 13, 2017 at 5:18 pmMines fried to quick. Could I finish them off in the oven? If so what temp and how long. Best way to reheat? Thank you
Ame says
December 11, 2017 at 8:14 amOy vey
Too late, I discovered that a food processor for a family of ten is required for this recipe. I split it messily into two batches – no easy task. The processor in the image is likely a commercial size, and it looks half full.
Shaun says
December 8, 2017 at 1:04 pmI really love this recipe. The balls hold together perfectly. I’ve tried other recipes and had to add more flour but this one is perfect. Also I bake the falafel balls so consistency is very important. Awesome!! Taste is also perfect!!
Martin O says
December 4, 2017 at 9:48 pmWonderful recipe. My family loved it. We did a combination of green & yellow recipes that resulted in a beautiful color. Reminded me of my favorite, legit fresh-falafel place in San Francisco. Key is making sure that you process the mix down to a fine enough texture for making balls. Started a test run with a coarser mix. While they tasted great, the texture was a bit rough. After a processing down to a finer grain, they were softer and had a better mouth feel. I also froze about 2 dozen balls to defrost and fry another time. Thanks for a recipe Tori!
Neroli says
January 3, 2018 at 10:34 pmHi I’m from the Bay Area but live in London currently.. I also know a little hole in the wall falafel place in S.F. Possibly same spot.
I can’t remember the name of the street though.. maybe you can tell me where your place is??
By the avenues
Like Little Vietnam
humaira says
December 3, 2017 at 10:26 amgreat recipe. we have had falafel in many authentic middle eastern and mediterranean restaurants. don’t see us ordering them out again because we prefer these.
Kellie Burrus says
December 2, 2017 at 9:24 amThis sounds so yum! I wonder if they save well if you freeze some after cooking?
Bron says
December 28, 2017 at 9:35 pmYes they freeze well. I make a double batch and freeze
Wendy says
November 26, 2017 at 9:26 amThank you for this lovely article, recipe, and photos. These are delicious!
Debora says
November 25, 2017 at 10:36 pmIs it possible to bake them instead of frying without changing the recipe?
If changes are necessary what would they be?
Can’t wait to make them!!
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
November 28, 2017 at 4:21 pmHi Debora, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We always use the frying method, but if you read through the comments I know that some readers have had success with baking.
Deborah says
December 3, 2017 at 12:36 pmI always bake these. Add the baking powder after the set up in the fridge. I bake @ 350 for about 8 minutes per side. I spray both sides with olive oil before putting them in the oven it helps them crunch up. The Sesame variation also helps with the crunch factor.
Alicia C. says
November 25, 2017 at 7:08 pmAmazing falafel recipe!!!!
Thank you Tori!!
God Bless you!
Tim Schilke says
November 25, 2017 at 5:23 pmHi Tori, just made this for my daughters, with a few slight changes. Substituted 3 small potatoes for 1/2 the chickpeas. And made cheese stuffed falafel by cutting small (about 3/4″) cubes of Asiago and Iberico and forming falafel balls around them before deep frying. Came out fantasitic and were a huge hit! Thank You 🙂