Dominique Rizzo | Bespoke Food Tours
The Best Chickpea & Herb Falafel
Easy
Prep 15 min Cook 3 - 15 min
The best falafel are my Chickpea & herb falafel. Made with soaked drained chickpeas, fresh herbs like coriander, mint and parsley and spices such as cumin, coriander and my tried and tested recipe for Chickpea and Fresh Herb Falafel will not disappoint.
I have always loved falafel for their earthy, nourishing flavour, their crispy texture and of course because they are delicious easy to make. There is no excuse as to why you would even consider having packet falafel mix on hand when you can make these beauties in a flash.
Gluten & sugar-free & vegan makes these burst of flavour a winner for everyone and any time as they make an ideal snack or accompaniment to a main meal, perfect for adding to wraps, burgers and really adaptable to whatever shape you want to make them.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (don’t use canned chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped (about one good bunch) Flat or curly is fine
- 1 cup coriander, roughly chopped (about one good bunch)
- 1 cup mint, roughly chopped (about one good bunch)
- 1 1/2 tsp each of cumin ground, coriander ground, paprika
- 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
** For Beetroot Falafel add 1/2 a medium – large raw beetroot to your ingredients and bland as per the recipe.
Recipe Steps
For Baking Preheat the oven to 180c.
- The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with water. Make sure the water covers the chickpeas by at least 5 cm as the chickpeas with triple in size and swell.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to your food processor.
- Add the raw, peeled and roughly diced onion, parsley, coriander, mint, spices, salt and black pepper, lemon, sesame seeds, besan flour and lemon juice to the food processor and pulse several times until it resembles the texture of coarse sand. Try not to over mix the falafel or blend it too fine as it will come out a slightly wet and sloppy mix.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes to one hour. This will assist in ensuring the mix stays together allowing the besan flour to absorb any extra liquids.
- Use a dessert spoon or, an ice cream scoop to form the falafel into balls or patties. You will need to scoop the mixture and then roll it with your hands to form a perfect ball. If you find the mixture is too wet, you can add another tablespoon of chickpea flour. If it’s too dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice.
- Once the falafel are formed, you can cook them by your preferred method. To deep fry, the falafel, add about 3 10cm of oil to a pot on medium heat. Test the oil by placing a small amount of the falafel mix and seeing if it fries up. Cook the falafel in batches (about 6-8 at a time) depending on the size of your pot. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the falafel onto paper towel. Keep an eye on them as they can burn easily. So watch your temperature to make sure they don’t overcook.
- If you are baking them, place them onto a tray and spray or brush with oil then bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden.
Pan fry on each side in hot oil for 2-3 minutes until golden. - Serve the falafel immediately, while warm and crispy on the outside.