falafel recipe with detailed step by step photos. this falafel recipe will give you one of the best falafel – crispy, crunchy and tasty falafel. making falafel is very easy and even beginners can make this delicious snack with this detailed falafel recipe.
what is falafel
falafel is a delicious middle eastern fried snack made with chickpeas or fava beans, some herbs and spices. they can be made as patties or balls. falafel is also a popular street food. this falafel recipe shows you how to make falafel with dried chickpeas.
falafel is mostly served in pita bread with hummus, tahini sauce, salad or pickled vegetables. however, you can even have falafel as a plain snack with a dip or chutney or even tomato ketchup. somehow falafel is similar to the way we make the indian dal vada – the difference being in the usage of chana dal instead of white chickpeas and some other spices and herbs in the dal vada.
how to make falafel
this method of making falafel recipe is the traditional method, where dried raw chickpeas are used. the chickpeas are soaked in water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. then later they are ground coarsely. the coarsely ground chickpea mixture is then shaped into balls or patties and deep fried.
though you can even shallow fry or bake the falafel. falafel made with the traditional method, gives you one of the best falafel.
variations in making falafel
- to the basic ground falafel mixture, many variations can be done. more herbs can be added and you can make herbed falafel.
- greens like spinach, kale, amaranth can be added and you can have green falafel.
- beetroot or carrots can also be added to the ground chickpea mixture
- various combinations of spice powders can be used to make a variety of falafel.
- falafel can be baked – bake at 180 degrees celsius till they have crisp and golden tops. brush with some oil before baking and bake in a greased pan.
falafel is a favorite snack at home. so i do make these on occasions. some times i just serve them plain with a side dip or chutney and at times as a stuffing in pita bread or sandwiches.
falafel can be served plain as snack with a dip or chutney. you can also serve them stuffed in pita bread, buns, sandwich, burger or in a wrap or roll with tahini, hummus and pickled veggies or mix grated veggies.
few more snacks recipes for you!
falafel recipe
INGREDIENTS FOR falafel recipe
- 1 cup dried white chickpeas (kabuli chana or safed chana or chole) or 200 grams dried white chickpeas
- 1 small onion, chopped or ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (lahsun)
- 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta) or 3 tablespoon chopped parsley or 2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder) or cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or ½ tsp crushed black pepper or pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida) or add as required
- salt as required
- oil for deep frying, as required
HOW TO MAKE falafel recipe
soaking chickpeas for falafel recipe
- rinse 1 cup chickpeas for a couple of times in water. then soak the chickpeas in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. drain them well.
- rinse them in running water. drain very well again.
grinding falafel mixture
- then add them in a grinder jar or a food processor or in a blender jar.
- add the spices, seasonings and herbs - ¼ cup chopped onion, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or parsley, ½ tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, ¼ tsp black pepper and 1 tbsp all purpose flour.
- also add ½ tsp lemon juice and salt as per taste.
- grind the mixture in small intervals of time. scrape the sides of the mixture and add back in the jar.
- you should get a semi coarse mixture. don't make it too pasty and smooth. avoid adding water while grinding. if you are unable to grind without water, then you can add 1 to 3 tbsp of water.
- take the falafel mixture in a bowl. check the taste and add more salt or spices if required. with a spoon or your hands mix everything well.
- if the falafel mixture is too coarse, you won't be able to shape them into balls. the consistency should be semi coarse, so that you are able to shape them in balls or patties. you can even refrigerate the mixture for some hours or a couple of days.
checking oil temperature before frying falafel
- first lets test the falafel. heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. roll a small ball or patty from the mixture and place it in the oil.
- if the falafel does not break, then you are good to go with the frying. if it breaks then add ½ to 1 tbsp more of the all purpose flour (maida).
- the oil temperature is also crucial, as if the oil is not hot enough, the falafel can break.
- when you place the falafel in the oil, it should come up gradually to the top. if it does not come to the top or sticks to the pan, the oil is not hot enough. if the falafel comes too quickly and starts browning fast, the oil is very hot.
frying falafel
- make medium sized balls from the falafel mixture and place them in medium hot oil. add the number of balls depending on the size and capacity of the kadai or pan. do not crowd the pan.
- when the bases gets light golden, gently turn over and fry the other side.
- fry falafel till they become crisp and are golden.
- drain the fried falafel on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
- this way make falafel with the rest of the mixture.
- serve falafel as a side snack with a tahini dip or hummus. falafel also taste good with coriander chutney and even tomato ketchup. you can also stuff them in pita breads.
RECIPE TIPS
- to make gluten free version use gram flour instead of all purpose flour.
preparation for falafel recipe
1. rinse 1 cup dried chickpeas a couple of times in water. then soak the chickpeas in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. drain them well. rinse them in running water. drain very well again.
2. then add them in a grinder jar or a food processor or in a blender jar.
3. add the spices, seasonings and herbs – ¼ cup chopped onions, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or 3 tbsp chopped parsley or 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves, ½ tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, ¼ tsp black pepper and 1 tbsp all purpose flour. also add salt as per taste.
4. add ½ tsp lemon juice.
5. grind the mixture in small intervals of time. scrape the sides of the mixture and add back in the jar. you can also use the pulse option which is there in the mixer-grinder or blender machine.
6. you should get a semi coarse mixture. don’t make it too pasty and smooth. avoid adding water while grinding. if you are unable to grind without water, then you can add 1 to 3 tbsp of water.
7. take the falafel mixture in a bowl. check the taste and add more salt or spices if required. mix again very well. if the mixture is too coarse, you won’t be able to shape them into balls. the consistency should be semi coarse, so that you are able to shape them in balls or patties. you can even refrigerate the mixture for some hours or a couple of days.
test before frying falafel
8. first lets test the falafel. heat oil for shallow frying or deep frying in a pan or kadai. roll a small ball or patty from the mixture and place it in the oil.
9. if the falafel does not break, then you are good to go with the frying. if it breaks then add ½ to 1 tbsp more of the all purpose flour (maida). the oil temperature is also crucial, as if the oil is not hot enough, the falafel can break. when you place the falafel in the oil, it should come up gradually on top. if it does not come on the top or sticks to the pan, the oil is not hot enough. if the falafel comes too quickly and starts browning fast, the oil is very hot.
frying falafel
10. make medium sized balls from the falafel mixture and place them in medium hot oil. add the number of balls depending on the size and capacity of the kadai or pan. do not crowd the pan.
11. when the bases gets light golden, gently turn over.
12. and fry the other side.
13. fry the falafel till they become crisp and are golden.
13. drain fried falafel on kitchen paper towels so that they absorb extra oil.
14. this way make falafel with the rest of the mixture.
15. serve falafel as a side snack with a tahini dip or hummus. falafel also taste good with coriander chutney and even tomato sauce. you can also stuff them in pita breads or make a falafel wrap. i served them with muhammara (roasted red bell pepper dip).
Hello mam…what can be added to make a gluten free version…cornflour or roasted besan?? Which will taste nicer???
Btw ur recipes are awesome
thanks ruchika. use roasted besan. it will give a better taste than corn flour.
When we were in US, a middle eastern friend suggested we use split green garbanzo (chickpeas/chana). It used to taste awesome. We moved to India recently and we have been searching for split hara chana (green chickpeas) since then but with no luck. Any idea where can we get that from?
hara chana is available in most grocery stores in metros. you can even find them in big stores like reliance etc. or you can buy online from amazon.in or bigbasket.
Dear medam put hummus recipe
jimmy, you can hummus recipe at this link – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/hummus-recipe/
Really love your recipe. I have been using Desi chickpeas for my recipes. How long would you recommend soaking them for this recipe?
thanks john. same time. i have also used desi chickpeas only.
Wow
Very nice recipe
Nice falafel recipe. Liked your website, great going
thanks jayashree
This recipe is great. I made a couple of these earlier today for lunch for myself and loved it so much I’m going to make a full batch for my husband to try when he gets in.
I used sunflower oil for theing and they turned out beautifully just like the picture!
thanks sabbatha for sharing positive feedback on falafel. glad to know this.
Can you tell me how to bake them? At what temperature and for how long?
Janaki, you can try baking them at 180 degree celsius. bake them till they look cooked and lightly browned from out. timing i can not say because the temperature varies from oven to oven.
I like recipe
what is the other option to make falafal instead of frying?
you can bake them.
this recipe is awsome and its taste is like lakhnavi kabab
thanks neeru for the positive feedback.
Dassana…want thank you for introducing such a wonderful recipe!
I tried it and turned out to be excellent in taste.
This is my first post ever on any website and would like to thank you for sharing such easy and great recipes.
also i would like to know if i can store the falafel for later use…should i cook them or just keep the dough as it is? ( as onion is added in it …hope it doesnt leave water ) and finallly how to heat it again?
thanks prerna. you can freeze the mixture before frying. at room temperature or in the fridge, onions will release some water. that cannot be avoided. just bring it at room temperature and then fry again.
Thank you…i did as you said…kept the uncooked dough in the freezer and next day at room temperature, I fried them again…didnt have any problem as such…the dough was a little more loose because of the release of the water but i was able to make balls for frying and the taste was also same!!!
Hi Dassana,
Loving the recipes, please keep them coming.. Do you reckon I could use an Oven to make the falafel instead of deep frying? If yes can you tell me the settings and time please.
yes priyanka, you can bake the falafel in the oven. just brush them lightly with olive oil. i think the temperature can range between 180 to 200 degrees C and the time taken can be from 30 to 35 minutes or until they get slightly browned.
was going thru ur pita bread recipe when i saw teh falafel recipe…ur falafels are looking very delicious..
i made it using bread crumbs instead of flour( as i also had experienc eof teh chickpeas breaking up!!)
will do the post later.. just wanted to share…
thats cool renu and thanks for sharing.
The Falafel looks really crispy ….loved all the clicks Dassana….the light falling in each pic is really adding to the richness of the dish!
Your falafel looks delish!
wow…looks scrumptiously tasty…
awesome clik..love your presentation
Tasty Appetite
thanks jay…
Crispy and perfect…yummy for snack time
had them like yesterday 🙂 mom made yumm…
They look lovely, the shaft of light acroos the falafels is beautiful too! I have always had a bit of a disaster making falafels, they either fall apart or are too dense/heavy from the flour. Maybe it’s time to have another go, I do love them!!
thanks natalie. do try making the falafels at home, natalie. you are going to love them.
Hey Dassana, the falafel look so delicious.
Hi Dassana, i am very thankful to you for posting falafel receipe on my request..You remembered it…so nice and it shows your passion and love for cooking..Falafel are looking very crispy in the pics…i will now make falafel and hummus and will get back with my experience…God bless you!!
with love, meeta..
welcome meeta. i enjoyed making these falafel… i do keep in mind all the recipe requests which i get and try to post them. a few recipe requests are on the way like idli, green coconut chutney, veg pizza and homemade white bread.
These falafels look fantastic! I love falafels – these look so fresh and flavourful. I’ve book marked this page, so I can make them soon. Thanks for the great post 🙂 Love your blog!
thanks courtney.
Thanks Dassana for the mention about the fundraiser.. Lets hope we can raise a decent amount!
The Falafel looks scrumptious! Its like chickpea tikki. and works so well in wraps and burgers with lots of creamy sauces or chutneys!
i too hope that we raise a decent amount…..