I've been teasing today's recipe over on Instagram
for the last several weeks,
and that's because I made it over and over again,
making sure that it was absolutely perfect.
And now that it is, I'm happy to share it with you.
So today, we are making the best falafel recipe
that you have ever tasted.
Falafel are little balls of chickpea goodness
that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
They're a traditional Middle Eastern recipe,
they are naturally vegan,
and they are perfect on top of salads
or in wraps, in pita, or in sandwiches,
though I personally love them on salads
because it means you get a little extra greens.
I've had my fair share of falafel
on travels through Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.
And last year, when I was in Tel Aviv,
I got a behind-the-scenes look at the falafel making
happening at the very popular Hakosem restaurant
where crowds line up for their falafel
and their gluten-free pita.
So, with all of that inspiration,
let me show you how to make the best falafel recipe.
To get started, you'll need one cup of dried chickpeas
and it is critical
that you do use dried chickpeas in this recipe
and not canned chickpeas,
as canned chickpeas are too soft and wet
and your falafel will not form properly if you use them.
You'll need to soak your chickpeas
for at least eight to 12 hours,
and this is easy to do overnight.
Just add them to a large bowl
and cover them with two to three inches of water.
Remember that the chickpeas will almost triple in size
so you do want plenty of water in the bowl.
The next morning,
you'll see how much your chickpeas have expanded
and the water might look a little yellowish.
That's fine, just drain and rinse your chickpeas
and then add them to your food processor.
Dice up about a half a cup of yellow onion
and you just roughly chop this.
The food processor will do much of the work,
but I find that it does help
to do a little chopping beforehand
to keep the texture consistent.
The best falafel recipes I've eaten
have always had heaps of herbs inside,
so we're adding a generous amount today.
Grab a large bunch of parsley and then roughly chop it.
It should equal about one cup, lightly packed,
if you wanna double check,
and then add it to your food processor.
Next, we'll add cilantro,
and you want an equal amount of cilantro to parsley.
So, roughly chop your cilantro
and add that to your food processor as well.
Now, this is what I consider the special ingredient
of this recipe, and it's a green pepper.
I'm using a small serrano pepper
but you could use a small jalapeno pepper as well.
You don't want too much pepper,
just enough to add a kick of flavor
without overpowering the falafel.
If your pepper is bigger than what you see here,
just use half of it,
but don't omit the pepper without trying it first.
And you'll just have to trust me on this one.
So, remove the seeds and membrane
from the inside of the pepper,
dice it up, and add it to the food processor.
Next, we'll add three cloves of garlic,
and do use fresh garlic rather than garlic powder
for the most robust flavor.
Again, you can always tweak
the amount of garlic to your liking.
So, just peel the garlic cloves
and toss them into the food processor as well.
Now we'll add a couple of spices
that are often used in Middle Eastern cooking
and which smell amazing,
and that includes one teaspoon of cumin,
one teaspoon of salt,
a half a teaspoon of cardamom, which I love,
and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper.
Once everything is in your food processor,
add the lid, and then pulse it several times,
scraping down the sides in between.
After you've done this for a minute or two,
you should have a mixture
that still has a little bit of texture to it
but it also resembles coarse sand.
(mellow music)
Transfer the falafel dough mixture to a mixing bowl
and then add two tablespoons of chickpea flour
and a half a teaspoon of baking soda.
These ingredients help to bind everything together
and make the falafel nice and fluffy on the inside.
I do have additional tips on the full blog post
if your mixture is too wet
or too dry and crumbly at this stage,
so make sure to check those out
if you need a little extra help.
Cover the bowl and then refrigerate the mixture
for 30 minutes to an hour so it can chill
and all of the flavors can melt together.
After it's chilled comes the scooping part.
I'm using a medium cookie scoop, which I'll link to below,
and I love it as it helps
to keep all of your falafel the same size.
So, scoop the mixture into your hands
and form them into balls.
The ball should stick together but they are a bit fragile,
so do be gentle with them.
Repeat this process until you've used up all of your dough
and just place the uncooked falafel on a plate.
(mellow music)
Now, if you do prefer the flatter patty shape,
you can do this by hand as well.
I tend to scoop a little bit more than I do for the balls,
and then just form them into patty shapes with my hands.
The flatter shape is perfect for serving
in pita or sandwiches,
so it helps to think of how you might serve the falafel
before you start shaping them.
When it comes to cooking falafel,
I'll show you three different methods.
The first is deep frying,
which is the most common method used in restaurants,
but it does use the most oil.
And in terms of oil,
I'm using avocado oil as it's a high heat oil
and it's my personal favorite oil to cook with,
but you could use a vegetable oil as well.
Heat the oil on medium heat
until the temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Some websites recommend 375 degrees, but I found
that this made the outside of the falafel much darker
and I prefer a more golden, crispy outside.
Once your oil has come to temperature,
gently drop your falafel balls in the oil
and let them cook for a minute or so.
Cook them in batches of six to eight at a time,
and I'll use my skimmer
to move them around a bit and take a peek
to make sure that they're not getting too dark.
Once they look beautiful and golden,
we move them to a paper-towel-lined plate
and repeat the process.
(mellow music)
Now I'll show you how to pan-fry falafel,
and this method is great as it uses less oil.
You only need a few tablespoons of oil in a pan
and I prefer a cast iron pan for this.
Heat the oil to medium high or until it sizzles
when you drop the first falafel in the pan.
Cook the falafel for two to three minutes on each side
or until they're golden brown.
Then, transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate.
(mellow music)
Our last method is baked falafel
and you'll start by preheating your oven
to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grab a baking sheet and either spray
or lightly brush it with oil.
Then add your falafel to the pan
and lightly coat the top sides with oil as well.
Cook them in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes
and flip them halfway through.
When they're done,
they should be just as golden as the other methods.
(mellow music)
So here's my flatter, baked falafel,
my pan-fried falafel, and my deep-fried falafel.
You can see that they look pretty darn similar,
so it's really up to you on which method you prefer.
Falafel are best eaten warm
and while they're nice and crispy on the outside.
If you break one open,
you'll see that beautiful vibrant green color,
and I'll forewarn you that they are highly addictive.
Drizzle your falafel with tahini sauce,
which is a creamy and flavorful requirement,
and I have a separate recipe for that on my website,
downshiftology.com.
If you want to make a feast,
serve the falafel with my homemade hummus,
lentil salad, cauliflower rice tabbouleh,
and za'atar roasted cauliflower.
And I have separate videos for the hummus
and tabbouleh on this channel,
so make sure to watch those videos.
I hope you guys enjoy your falafels
and make sure to tag me on social media
when you whip them up because I would love to see them.