Authentic Falafel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a traditional falafel made of? ›

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern “fast food” made of a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a small patties or balls. It's thought that falafel originated in Egypt as Coptic Christians looked for a hearty replacement for meat during long seasons of fasting or lent.

Falafel is usually made with fava beans in Egyptian cuisine, with chickpeas in Palestinian cuisine, or either just chickpeas or a combination of both in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Falafel is a Middle Eastern recipe that is basically mashed chickpeas with herbs and seasonings formed into patties and fried. It's a traditional food in Lebanon that's made with only a few ingredients and served plain with tahini sauce, hummus, or garlic sauce for dipping, or as a falafel sandwich or falafel wrap.

Chickpeas in falafel contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins and folate. They are full of antioxidants and are useful in fighting diseases. Of course, we emphasize again that you try to prepare it at home and do not fry it. If it is fried, its fat and calories increase and the food is no longer so healthy.

A binding ingredient can help keep it together, especially if you are using canned beans instead of dried. And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties.

Best countries to taste and experience falafel

Traditionally, the best countries to enjoy falafel can be found in the Levant, from the Middle East to Northern Africa. Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Palestine are great foodie destinations with world-class falafel in every other corner.

Description. Falafel made with chickpeas, red pepper, apricots and dates - simply blended with Moroccan spices and baked.

The origins of the falafel can be traced back to Egypt, which is located between Africa and the Middle East. Egyptians are said to eat falafels every day. In fact, falafels are considered their national dish. Falafels reached North America and Germany in the 20th century.

Baking soda and powder: Baking soda breaks down and softens the chickpeas as they soak. Baking powder, mixed in just before baking, makes the falafel light and airy. Fresh herbs: The tender leaves of parsley, dill, and cilantro bring fresh, herbal flavor and color.

A few rough bits are completely fine. If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs.

Why do you soak chickpeas for falafel? ›

Dried Chickpeas: The base ingredient for falafel; they provide the structure and texture. Soaking them overnight (or using the quick-soak method) ensures they are soft enough to blend but firm enough to hold together during cooking.

Falafel are flavorful balls of ground chickpeas, herbs, and spices. In Middle Eastern cooking, they're typically fried, but here, I bake them for an easy homemade twist. Serve them in a pita wrap with all the fixings, or find more serving suggestions in the post above.

Traditional falafel is made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, herbs and spices. The mixture is then formed into balls or patties and deep fried for a texture that's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, sort of like a fritter.

Gyro: Many varieties of this protein option have more fat than protein. Falafel: Deep-fried chickpea patties - often tucked into pita pockets. Kibbeh: Deep-fried balls of beef, lamb and/or bulger. Pita: Ask for cucumber slices instead for dipping.

If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them.

Falafels are also packed with key nutrients, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, Vitamins B and C, zinc, potassium and folate. When falafels are fried (as in the traditional cooking method) they will have a higher fat content, but you can reduce this by choosing to bake them instead.

Ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel) is an all-time favorite street food in Egypt. In most parts of the Middle East, falafel is made with ground chickpeas. In Egypt however, we make it with dried fava beans. These are best served with pita bread, tomato, onions, and tahini sauce.

Not unexpectedly, creative Westerners now add such other ingredients as olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Crumbled feta cheese is an excellent addition. Although a perfect picnic or anytime snack when cold, falafel are very much better when warm. The choice of accompanying sauces is enormous.