Absolutely incredible authentic falafels! Made by my patient and talented husband, Matthew. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never tried falafels until my husband Matthew made these for us. These are so flavorful! This recipe definitely takes a lot of time, but its so worth it in the end.
First you will need to soak two cups of dried chickpeas in a bowl of cold water for at least twelve hours. If you have a lot of patience like my husband does, soak the dried chickpeas for twenty-four hours. When you begin soaking, pour enough water to completely cover and add about three inches of water over the chickpeas.
After you’ve patiently waited for the chickpeas to soak for twelve to twenty-four hours, you will notice that the chickpeas should have doubled in size. Add these and the rest of the ingredients in the recipe to a food processor. These ingredients include: garlic cloves, cilantro, parsley, jalapeno, flour, ground cumin, ground coriander, kosher salt, pepper, about eight pods of cardamom, cayenne pepper, and baking powder. Pulse all of these ingredients in the food processor until well blended, then put food processor on high and blend until its a course sand like consistency. Transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight, if you have incredible patience.
After resting in the refrigerator, form into two inch round balls. Heat vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet to 375 degrees. Fry falafels for about 2-3 minutes per side. Cook in batches and make sure the oil gets back up to 375 degrees before starting another batch.
Now you can finally serve! Traditionally, authentic falafels are served in pitas with a slew of other ingredients (lettuce, tomato, tahini, hot sauce) or just eat however you would like!
Trust me…these are worth all the wait! Enjoy!
Authentic Falafel Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas (4 cups soaked for 12-24 hours)
- 1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (about 1/4c)
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
- 2 tabelspoons flour (use chickpea flour for gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (about 8 pods)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Put dried chickpeas in a large bowl and add cold water to cover them and about 2-3in higher than the chickpeas. Soak chickpeas for at least 12 hours, 24 hours is preferred.
- The chickpeas should have doubled in size and be tender.
- Add chickpeas to a food processor and add all ingredients. You may have to do it in batches if your food processor is small.
- Pulse the ingredients until we’ll combined and then put on high and process until it is like course sand and should be able to form balls.
- Cover and set in fridge for at least 1 hour, up to overnight until you’re ready to form balls/patties. This will help the mixture stick together better. Note: If the mixture seems too wet and won’t form into balls/patties add some more flour to help them bind better. Note: As a last resort, if the mixture still won’t form balls, you can add 1 egg as a binder.
- Once your ready, form into 2in balls, I used a cookie scoop to help. They should be roughly the size of a golf ball.
- Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet to about 375.
- Fry one ball as a tester for seasoning and to see if the oil is the right temp. It should take about 2-3 minutes per side to get nice and golden brown. If it browns too fast or too slow adjust the temp and try another tester to get the temp just right. Note: if formed into patties they will cook about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Fry in batches.
- Serve! Traditionally, this is served in pitas with a slew of other ingredients (lettuce, tomato, tahini, hot sauce) or just eat however you would like!
