This falafel recipe is a simple, but very tasty dish. The falafels are made with chickpeas, onions, garlic, parsley, and a blend of spices. Then the mixture is shaped into small balls or patties. Afterward they are baked or fried until crispy and golden brown. Simply choose and follow the instructions for either baking or frying. Falafels can be served with pita bread, hummus, and a variety of toppings. This recipe takes approximately 35-40 minutes to prepare and makes about 20-24 falafels.
Choose your cooking method: baking or frying
There is the choice of baking or frying this falafel recipe. Instructions are added for baking or frying. Just pick the instructions for your preference.
Serving options for falafels
Pita Pocket: Falafels are commonly served in a pita pocket along with vegetables and sauces. Try this easy one! Put falafels in a pita pocket with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and tahini sauce. Or use your favorite spread such as vegan mayonnaise.
Wrap: Serve falafel in any type of wrap (tortilla, lettuce, collard) with hummus, tahini sauce, chopped tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. Or try falafels with hummus and tahini sauce and roasted vegetables.
Vegan tzatziki sauce: Is a great accompaniment to falafels. It is a flavorful and creamy sauce that is traditionally made with yogurt, but can be made vegan by using plant-based yogurt or other substitutions like tofu or cashews. It typically contains ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, dill, and cucumber, and can add a tangy and refreshing element to the dish. Use instead of hummus or tahini, inside wraps or along side a plate.
Salad: Top your favorite salad greens with falafel, hummus, and a lemon-tahini dressing. Or cut the falafels into quarters and use in place of croutons or beans in your salad
Bowl: Serve falafel on a bed of quinoa or rice with roasted vegetables, hummus, and tahini sauce. Another option is to add falafel to a Buddha bowl with a variety of veggies, grains, and sauces.
Mezze platter: Arrange falafel on a platter with olives, pickled vegetables, hummus, baba ghanoush, and pita bread or pita chips.
Sandwich or Burgers: Use falafels as a protein source in a sandwich with avocado, lettuce, and tomato. Another option is to make a larger falafel into a burger. Then add toppings like avocado, tomato, onion, and tahini sauce.
Snack: Serve falafel as a healthy snack with your favorite dipping sauce. Try tahini, hummus or tzatziki sauce.
Tacos: Stuff falafels and slightly crumble in a tortilla or lettuce wrap with toppings like chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and tahini sauce.
Breakfast: Serve falafel with scrambled tofu, roasted veggies, and avocado for a hearty breakfast bowl.
Vegetables: With pickled vegetables or pickled turnips. Falafels are tasty with roasted or grilled vegetables, such as eggplant or zucchini, too.
Storage tips
Cooked falafels can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Also, you can also freeze them for up to 3 months so they make great meal prep food. To freeze, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to eat, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, or reheat them in the oven or microwave.
Falafel Recipe
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup water (or vegetable broth)
- 1 minced onion
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil for frying, (only if frying)
Instructions
For Baking Falafels
- In a food processor, blend together 2 cans of chickpeas, chopped onion, minced garlic cloves, chopped parsley, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in water and flour. Combine well.
- Shape the mixture into small balls or patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Enjoy your Falafels!
For Frying Falafels
- Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to a food processor and pulse until you get a crumbly mixture.
- Add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the mixture starts to come together and you can form a ball.
- Shape the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping-pong ball.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the falafel balls and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Serve hot with pita bread, hummus, tahini sauce, and your favorite toppings. Enjoy your delicious vegan falafel!
