Falafel
Deep- or shallow-fried and composed of chickpeas or fava beans, this Middle Eastern food is often found wrapped up in a pita bread, or served with salad and sauces. No matter how this dish is served, Falafel is a bit crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and absolutely delicious in every way!
There is a perception that it is difficult to make these little gems but once you understand it, it is plain sailing.
Find the recipe for printing HERE.
A few points to remember:
- The longer chickpeas are soaked the softer they become and will then produce a finer texture falafel.
- Follow the recipe carefully, NOT processing all ingredients together – flour and spices are added later.
- Process the ingredients (chickpeas and herbs) in two equal batches to prevent your machine from clogging.
- the consistency of the final mixture is important – not too dry and not too wet. You should be able to squeeze a handful of the mixture and it should ‘hold’ well without falling apart. It is a good idea to heat some shallow oil in a small pan and test the first cake for its holding ability. If it crumbles you need to add more chickpea flour.
- Falafel is best when cooked in medium-hot oil to crisp the outside, cook the inside while still ensuring it stays soft and moist. For this reason we prefer frying Falafel in a pan instead of air-frying, as the latter tends to overcook the inside.
- Falafel is best served as soon as possible after frying.
- Make any sauce of your choice to serve with Falafel, but including Tahini and lemon juice is a recommendation.
- This recipe is ideal for people who are gluten intolerant or allergic.
- The raw cakes freeze well. Shape them and then pack them in layers between wax paper. Fry directly from frozen.