Description
Fluffy herbaceous falafels with a spicy green tahini sauce. Makes 30 falafel balls. (About 5-8 servings)
Ingredients
Units
Scale
FALAFEL
- 1 1/4 cup (225 g) dried chickpeas
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2/3 cup mint, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup curly or flat parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup scallions, roughly chopped (about 6-8 scallions)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour
- 2 to 3 cups (480 to 720ml) vegetable oil, for frying
SPICY HERB TAHINI SAUCE
- 1 cup tahini paste (white sesame seeds)
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp serrano chili (or to taste), sliced thinly
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
Instructions
Falafel
- Add chickpeas and enough water to a large bowl so that you have at least 3 inches of water above the chickpeas. Soak for 24 hours.
- Drain the chickpeas and dry them in a salad spinner or by placing them on a clean tea towel and gently rubbing them dry.
- Add chickpeas, onion, mint, cilantro, parsley, scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, baking soda, lemon juice and chickpea flour to a food processor. Pulse the mixture 10 times and scrape down the bowl. Pulse another 15-20 times, scraping down the bowl every so often. You want the chickpeas pieces to be small, do NOT puree into a smooth mixture. You want the texture to look like the photo below.
- Dump the mixture out into a bowl and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. Then take 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball by gently squeezing the mixture into your hands and rolling it into a ball. Place the falafel onto a greased plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Add enough oil to a cast-iron skillet so that it is 3/4 of the way up the sides. Heat the oil to 370°F. Add falafel balls and cook for 4 minutes, gently moving the falafel every few seconds. Make sure to keep the oil temperature at 360°F. Remove and drain the oil excess oil from the falafel and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with salt immediately. Repeat with the rest of the falafels.
- Serve with spicy herb tahini alone or on pita with cucumber, tomato, and pickles!
Spicy Herb Tahini Sauce
- Add all the ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt, spice, and lemon to your taste.
Notes
Freezer instructions: if you want to freeze the falafel for future use, line a baking tray or plate with parchment paper and grease with a little bit of oil. Place your falafel balls onto the parchment paper and freeze overnight. Place the falafel into a freezer bag the next day. When you want to eat them just follow the same frying steps as above.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
