Egyptian Falafel, or ta'ameya (ta'amiya - taameya) as we call it in Egypt, is a favorite street food pure vegetarian of all time. In most of the Middle East, falafel is made from ground chickpeas. However, in Egypt we do this with dried fava beans. They are best served with pita bread, tomato, onion and tahini sauce.
What is Falafel? Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern fast food made from a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs and spices that form in a small patty or balls. Falafel is supposed to be from Egypt when Coptic Christians sought an abundant substitute for meat during long periods of fasting or Lent. It has also become a vegan food popular in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.
Falafel is always the daily food of people in Egypt and can be found by street vendors in almost every neighborhood. It is often served in the form of a sandwich with a generous tenderloin of tahini and a lot of Mediterranean salad, as well as slices of roasted or fried eggplant.
This vegan dish is made with simple and daily ingredients and you won't believe how easy it is. Excellent ingredients are the key to a great falafel, so make sure you buy high-quality spices like cumin and coriander for your falafel blend.
Facts about this recipe
No canned chickpeas (very important!) If you are looking for the best texture and taste, you should start with dried chickpeas. Many falafel recipes use canned chickpeas that are not authentic and cause the decay of falafel patties into hot cooking oil.
I like that this recipe can be prepared in advance, and you can freeze raw falafel patties for further use.
Falafel empanels are full of vegetable energy and chickpea protein that will make you feel full and satisfied. My recipe also uses the perfect blend of spices (cumin, coriander and a touch of cayenne) and fresh herbs to give them an authentic bold taste.
How to make Falafel: step by step
- Soak the chickpeas for 24 hours. Cover them with plenty of water and add baking soda to help soften them during soaking. Chickpeas will at least double in size when soaking. Drain very well.
- Make the mixture. Add chickpeas, fresh herbs (parsley, coriander and dill), garlic, onion and spices to the food processor and press a little at a time until finely ground. You will know that it is ready when the texture looks more like a thick meal. Transfer the falafel mixture to a container, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The refrigerated mixture will be better maintained together, which facilitates the formation of falafel patties.
- Form burgers or balls. Once the falafel mixture has cooled a lot, mix the baking powder and roasted sesame seeds, then take balls the size of the golf ball and form balls or patties (if you go along the patties road, do not crush them too much, you want them to stay nice and fluffy when cooked).
- Fry. Frying is the traditional way of cooking falafel and produces the most authentic and best result. Heat the oil to medium-high until it bubbles gently (your oil should be warm enough around 375 degrees F, but not too hot to cause falafel crumbling).
Gently place falafel in oil, using a slotted spoon, and fry for 3-5 minutes until golden brown means outside. Avoid overcrowding of falafel; fry in batches if necessary.
Tip: It is always a good idea to fry a falafel first to ensure that the temperature of the oil does not need to be adjusted.
You can serve falafel for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Most Egyptians and others across the Middle East start their day with falafel, just as many here in the United States start with a bowl of cereals.
Important tips:
- Always use dried chickpeas. Dried chickpeas, which have been soaked in water for 24 hours, will give you the best texture and taste. Dried chickpeas are naturally starched and will help your falafels stay well trained. If you use canned chickpeas, your falafel will disintegrate into the frying oil.
- Falafel mixture cool. Cooling for at least 1 hour helps in shaping. And the good news is that you can make the falafel mixture one night in advance and relax overnightAdd baking powder to the falafel mixture before forming balls/patties. As a leavening agent, baking powder here helps to make falafel on the fluffy side.
- Fry in bubbling oil and do not grab the pan. For perfectly crispy falafel, unfortunately, the best option is deep frying. Cooking oil should be warm and bubbling gently, but not too hot for the falafel to disintegrate. If necessary, use a safe thermometer for frying (affiliate link); you should read about 375 degrees F (for my frying pan, i.e. medium-high heat.)
- Once cooked, the falafel should be crispy and medium brown on the outside, fluffy and light green on the inside.
For baked falafel
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet. Give each burger a quick brush of extra virgin olive oil before cooking; bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning Falafel empanadas until half cooking.
Go ahead and freeze To move forward: The prepared falafel mixture will be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in advance. Form into patties when ready to fry.
Freeze: Place uncooked falafel patties on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour. Once hardened, transfer patties to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Falafel can be cooked from frozen when frying or cooking.
Flafel Ingredients:
- 2 cups dried chickpeas (DO NOT USE canned or cooked chickpeas)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
- ¾ cup fresh coriander leaves, stems removed
- ½ cup fresh dill, stems removed
- 1 small onion
- 7-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
- salt to taste
- Frying oil
- Falafel Tahini Sauce Falafel Sauce Sandwich Fixings (optional)
- Pita pockets
- cucumbers, chopped or diced tomatoes,
- chopped or diced tomatoes, or diced
- Pickles
- 1 tbsp of black ground pepper
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground cilantro
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
- Dried chickpeas: AVOID using canned chickpeas! Dried chickpeas (which have been soaked in water for 24 hours) are an important ingredient that will give your falafel the right consistency and taste. (Tip: I usually add about ½ teaspoon baking soda to the soaking water to help soften dry chickpeas.)
- Fresh herbs: fresh parsley, coriander and dill are the key to this authentic recipe.
- Onion: I normally use yellow onions, but white or red onions would work.
- Garlic : for the best taste, use fresh garlic cloves.
- Salt and kosher pepper: to taste.
- Spices: cumin, coriander and a little cayenne pepper. With fresh herbs, this trio of spices gives the falafel its bold and authentic taste.
- Baking powder: this is what gives the falafel an airy and fluffy texture (many recipes skip that, making falafel too dense.)
- Sesame seeds - they are optional here, but I like the added nut.
Instructions while preparing Flafel:
- Place dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas for at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 18 hours (more if chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, carefully drain the chickpeas and dry them.
- Add chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor equipped with a blade. Run the food processor 40 seconds at a time until everything is well combined forming a mixture of falafel.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (up to a whole night) until ready to cook.
- Just before frying, add baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and mix with a spoon.
- Spoons falafel mixture and form into patties (½ inch thick each). Helps keep your hands wet while shaping burgers Fill a medium 3-inch saucepan with oil. Heat the oil to medium-high until it bubbles gently. Gently place the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes until crispy and medium outside. Avoid sintering the falafel in the pan, fry in batches if necessary.
- Place the fried falafel patties on a sieve or plate covered with paper towels to drain.
- Serve hot falafel with other small plates; or assemble falafel patties on pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato and cucumbers.
Choose how to serve falafel
Middle East Style: On the streets of the Middle East, falafel is usually served hot with a generous amount of tahini sauce or yoghurt salad along with fool medames.
Sandwich: To make a falafel sandwich, dress hot pita pockets, load them with falafel, sprinkle with tahini and add fresh vegetables (such as arugula), diced fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and pickles.
On a brunch table: Serve your flalafel with a variety of fresh vegetables, cheese and jumps like I don't have on my brunch board.
As an accompaniment: serve the falafel with small plates such as turkish-inspired fried eggplant, taboli salad or Balela salad.
Dip: If you are looking to soak your falafel, definitely try my classic creamy hummus or Baba Ganoush.
Cooktime for flafel
prep: 20 minutes
cook: 8 minutes