It’s easy to fall in love with Falafel! Falafel is the king of the street food, hailing from the Middle East. It can be found on every street corner. It’s a great hearty, vegetarian option if you want to try something different. They can be served as a mezze on a buffet, or as a passed hors d’oeuvre, or even as a full sandwich wrapped in a pita bread full of hummus and vegetables.
Falafel is deep-fried balls (or patties) made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Traditionally, they are best served in the pocket of a pita bread (or wrapped in a flat bread), drizzled in a tahini sauce or served with hummus. I love to add a Greek twist and top mine with tzatziki sauce and crumbled feta cheese!
Falafel is an easy vegan option to have available for a guest to add them to a salad or create their own sandwich. Most are vegan, but ask before you eat! They are great source of protein. They can also easily be made gluten-free by simply using gluten-free flour. But, I believe Falafel is nothing without a home-made sauce and great toppings.
The most important part of serving Falafel is making sure your guests have a plethora of options to accompany the Falafel balls. This recipe is easy, and it’s always fun to pair them with various combinations of condiments. You can definitely use your imagination here!
Ingredients
- 1 lb of dry chickpeas
- 1 Onion chopped finely
- 1/4 Cup chopped parsley
- 5 Cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp of flour or chickpea flour
- 1 3/4 tsp of salt
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Coriander
- Pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- Vegetable oil for frying, ( grapeseed oil, avocado oil)
- Tzatziki
- 1/2 Large cucumber unpeeled
- 1 1/2 Cup of Greek yogurt
- 2 Large garlic cloves
- 2 Tablespoons of Greek olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon of salt
- 1 Tablespoon of fresh dill chopped
Instructions
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with water, let them soak overnight.
They will double in size
Drain and rinse them
Pour them into a food processor
Add onions, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and cardamom.
Pulse ingredients together and scrape the sides
The mixture should have the consistency of paste
Pour into bowl
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours
Fill the frying pan with the oil about 1 1/2 inches deep
Heat oil to medium
Use a thermometer to monitor the heat of the oil 360 degrees
Form the falafel in balls and roll them in flour
Fry for 2 to 3 mins
Until golden brown
Remove them with slotted spoon
Lay them on paper towel to cool
Tzatziki
Grate the cucumber and drain overnight place a paper towel over it to absorb the water
Combine yogurt, garlic, oil, vinegar and place in the refrigerator overnight
Add the cucumber, salt and dill to the yogurt mixture and mix
Place in the refrigerator until ready to use
Notes
Do not use can chickpeas, it will not work! Also work with the consistency of the mixture to get them to stay together, if needed add an egg Tzatziki Make sure you grate the cucumber overnight or it will be mushy
