Mediterranean · Snack · Medium
Falafel
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Falafel, in 5 ideas
- Keep the texture coarse. You want visible bits of chickpea and herb, not a smooth paste. Pulse, do not hold the button down.
- The rest in the fridge matters. An hour of chilling firms the mixture so the balls hold their shape in the hot oil.
- 350F, not hotter. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through. Too cool and they absorb oil and go greasy.
- Baking soda goes in right before frying. It reacts with the moisture and creates the light, fluffy interior. Do not add it the night before.
- Freeze the extras. Formed but unfried falafel freeze beautifully. Fry straight from frozen, adding 1 extra minute.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (not canned)
- 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 4 scallions, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
How to make it
Directions
- Soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of cold water for 12 to 24 hours. They will roughly double. Drain completely and pat very dry.
- Add the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, scallions, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some small pebbles. Do not puree it smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, baking soda, and flour. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour so the mixture firms up.
- Test one falafel first: form a walnut-sized ball and fry it. If it holds together, you are good. If it falls apart, add another tablespoon of flour.
- Heat the oil to 350F. Form the mixture into balls or small patties, about 1.5 inches across.
- Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp all over.
- Drain on a wire rack. Serve hot in pita with hummus, tahini, and pickles, or over salad.
Canned chickpeas will ruin this. They are too wet and too soft. The falafel will fall apart in the oil every time. Dried and soaked is non-negotiable.