Authentic Chickpea Falafel فلافل sandwich consists of tahini sauce, pickles, and tomatoes. This is one of the best sandwiches one can ever have. Falafel is considered to be one of the most famous staple street foo. Not only popular in Palestine but also across the middle east and nowadays it’s becoming popular in the US as well. The staple of the Middle East is as contested as the region, with different peoples claiming it as their own.
When I first moved to the US my aunt (khalti) my mother’s sister, was always supplying me with falafel. She often would have bags of previously frozen falafel mix which I kept in my freezer. I would defrost and fry every time I felt like having some. It is one of the best falafel I have ever had. One of my other favorite sandwiches is a Grilled Chicken Shawarma Wrap.
In Palestine, people rarely make falafel at home. Every time we felt like having some, we would get freshly fried falafel from numerous places available around town.
Food is one of the things that connect us to our roots, our culture, and our heritage. So when we are far away from home we always look for ways to make us feel closer to our homes, and food is one of them.
So here is how to make your falafel following khalti’s recipe:
I’ve seen recipes where people mix bread and I’m like oh no no no please don’t ruin it. The primary ingredient of any falafel is dried hummus (chickpeas), then comes parsley.
First you soak the hummus (chickpeas) in water overnight or at least 8 hours. It is highly recommended to use dried chickpeas and not canned. Canned chickpeas will be too soft and watery and will not form the required shape and break when frying.
Rinse the hummus and place it in a food processor. Add all the ingredients except for oil (parsley, onions, garlic, potatoes (khalti says the potato can make it a bit crunchier) cumin powder, coriander powder, and baking powder. Blend everything well until you have formed a paste.
Begin shaping the falafel into balls by either using your hands or a falafel tool if available you can use an ice cream spoon as an alternative.
Heat oil in a pan over high heat until very hot. Fry the falafel in batches of 4-5 at a time (depending on the size of your pan) for about 6-8 minutes. Turn the falafel occasionally once the falafel is browned take it out and place them on a paper towel.
Enjoy the falafel with tahini sauce on warped-in Arabic bread. My favorite combination is a falafel sandwich with lots of tahini sauce, cucumber pickles, tomatoes and shatta (hot sauce).
The recipe makes about ¾ of a pound. If you do not intend to fry all of the mix you can store it in zip lock bags or air-tight containers in the freezer for about 3-6 months. You only need to defrost for a couple of hours prior to frying.
Authentic Chickpea Falafel The Best I Have Ever Had
Description
Authentic Chickpea Falafel فلافل sandwich consists of tahini sauce, pickles, and tomatoes. This is one of the best sandwiches one can ever have. Falafel is considered to be one of the most famous staple street foo. Not only popular in Palestine but also across the middle east and nowadays it’s becoming popular in the US as well
Ingredients
- 1 pound or about 2.5 cups dried hummus (chickpeas)
- 1 bunch of parsley stems out
- 1 onion peeled
- 3-4 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 medium-size potato peeled
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 cups oil for frying (recommended avocado oil or grapeseed oil)
Instructions
- Soak hummus with water fully covered for up to eight hours or overnight.
- Rinse the hummus from water and place in a food processor, then add all the ingredients except for oil (parsley, onions, garlic, potatoes (khalti says the potato can make it a bit crunchier) cumin powder, coriander powder, baking powder. Blend everything well until you have formed a paste.
- Begin shaping the falafel into balls by either using your hands, or the falafel tool if available, or even an ice cream spoon.
- Heat the oil in a pan over high heat until very hot. Fry the falafel in batches of 4-5 at a time (depending on the size of your pan) for about 6-8 minutes, turn the falafel occasionally, once the falafel turns brownish, take it out, and place them on a paper towel.
bigscoots says
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Dana says
Love this authentic recipe. Thank you.
Wafa Shami says
You are welcome!
Cally says
I also enjoy falafel served with tahini and shatta. A bit of chopped red onion and parsley, all in a pita, or in a large flatbread with the addition of tahini sauce, shatta, chopped onion, chopped parsley, Lebanese pickles, cucumber, tomato and maybe some shredded red cabbage. You cannot beat falafel!!
Wafa Shami says
That's how I like it too -:) So delicious!
Andy Newhouse says
Looking to try this out! Do you cook the potato first?
Wafa Shami says
Great, let me know how it'll turn out. No potato shouldn't be cooked.
Kate says
We made this recipe today and it was FANTASTIC!!!! We didn't have parsley, but had a range of other herbs in the garden that we used instead - dill, arugula, coriander and mint. Picked the equivalent of 2 cups and used it as a substitute and we absolutely LOVED the falafel.
Wafa Shami says
That sounds awesome, glad you enjoyed it.
Ariel says
Do I mash the chickpeas if I am not using pre-made hummus? Thanks!
Wafa Shami says
Yes dry chickpeas are mashed/blended in the food processor, but make sure they're soaked over night. I'm using the word hummus here referring to chickpeas which is the Arabic word for chickpeas. Hope this is helpful.
Asa says
It's indeed the best falafel possible!! All other recipes even warn, that their falafel is inedible when cold. This one is tasty even out of fridge! I made double batch in order to freeze half, but my husband (that hates vegetarian food!) ate too much out of fridge cold.
*After freezer tastes as good, as fresh. Also, I was not very attentive to recipe and didn't deep fry it all I shallow fried. Still worked and still tasted the best!
Thank you.
Wafa Shami says
Hello Asa, that's great I'm so glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed it. Sahtain.
Tyler E. says
I noticed there's a jalapeño in the photo but not on the ingredients list. Do you recommend using it?
Wafa Shami says
If you like falafel to be spicy yes for sure you can use some.
Lillian Forrest says
Can confirm - is delicious ❤️
Wafa Shami says
Great to hear. Thank you.
Leone says
Is that a jalapeno in the picture? Is is not stated in the recipe but can see it in the processor.
Wafa Shami says
Hi Leone, yes it is. If you like the falafel spicy jalapeno is optional in this recipe.
Courtney says
This is by far the best falafel recipe I’ve ever used. This is the only recipe where they’re never crumbly and always tasty. Every single time they come out so fluffy and moist on the inside and so crunchy on the outside. Thank you so much for sharing this authentic recipe!
Wafa Shami says
Hi Courtney, I'm so glad to hear that. You're welcome!
Sue says
Hi!
I followed your recipe exactly. When I fried one for testing, it totally broke apart. Can you please give any tips to avoid this? Thank you 🙂
Wafa Shami says
Hi Sue, I’m sorry to hear that! There are a few possible reasons why the dough might have been too wet. It could be that the parsley wasn’t dried thoroughly, or perhaps some water was accidentally added along with the chickpeas. Also, make sure the chickpeas are soaked overnight but not cooked. I hope this helps for next time!
Marie B. says
Such an amazing recipe! I’ve been wanting to try making an authentic Palestinian falafel and this was delicious. I even had my 9 year old make it with me and roll the falafel by hand and she loved it, it was a wonderful experience for the family and we even had half of it to freeze for later use. Thank you for adding that suggestion beforehand. I also made your creamy cucumber yogurt sauce to go with it and it was delicious as well. So glad I found you!
Wafa Shami says
Hi Marie, that's awesome, thanks for the feedback. I hope you'll enjoy more authentic recipes from my blog.
Leone says
Made this recipe with the potato and without. My husband is Diabetic so best for him without potato. I fried in Rapeseed oil, made tahini sauce to drizzle over in a Cyprus pita bread along with tomatoes and cucumber. Delicious. Will look for some pickled cucumbers next time we visit a Turkish supermarket. We first tasted this type of felafel in a Lebanese cafe' in North Cyprus and I came across this recipe which is very delicious! Thank you!
Wafa Shami says
Hello Leone, you are welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
Rebekah Yli-Luoma says
I love falafel. This recipe is the best falafel I have ever made & eaten. Texture & flavor supersedes all the others that I have tried. I appreciate the potato added. Came back to your site for to make the again and plan to make many other recipes here. Thank you!!!
Wafa Shami says
Hi Rebekah, I'm so glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing your feedback, enjoy!
Shireen says
How many servings does the recipe make? Thanks!
Wafa Shami says
Hi Shireen, this quantity makes approximately 25-30 falafel, depending on the size of each one. I hope this helps!
azaan says
Can i ovenbake this recipe? if i can how can i ovenbake it
Wafa Shami says
Hi Azaan, they're best deep fried. But you can certainly oven bake them:
Preheat and set to 400°F (200°C), line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease it with olive oil.
Lightly brush or spray each falafel with olive oil to help them crisp up in the oven.
Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Enjoy!