Falafel
Soaked chickpeas and fava beans are ground with garlic, onion, herbs, and spices, then shaped into small patties or balls. The mixture is seasoned with cumin, coriander, and parsley to create a fragrant, savory base. The falafel is cooked—traditionally fried or baked—until the exterior is crisp while the interior remains tender and moist.
During cooking, the heat creates a golden crust that contrasts with the soft, flavorful center. The legumes absorb the seasonings, producing a cohesive texture and rich, earthy taste. The preparation emphasizes proper soaking, seasoning, and cooking to transform simple beans into a well-balanced, aromatic vegetarian dish.
Small Plates
Mediterranean
Servings: 12Equipment
- falafel scoop
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100g) dried chickpeas
- ½ cup (100g) dried split fava beans
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- vegetable oil
Instructions
Prep
- Soak chickpeas and fava beans for 12-24 hours in water with ½ tsp. baking soda.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and fava beans.
- Remove husks from the fava beans.
Mix
- Add chickpeas and fava beans to the food processor and pulse until blended into a coarse meal.
- Add onions, herbs, spices, and baking powder to the mixture and pulse until blended into a paste.
- If the paste is too thick, add 1 Tbsp. of water at a time and continue pulsing.
- Move the chickpea mix to a bowl and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Add ¼ tsp. baking powder.
Fry
- Add 2 inches of oil to the pan and heat to 350°F.
- Form chickpea paste into balls.
- Test the oil by cooking one falafel.
- Place chickpea balls into the hot oil and fry in batches for 3½ minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from oil with a slotted spoon.
Notes
- Use split fava beans. If using the whole fava beans, you probably need to parboil them or the ground meal is too gravelly.