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Crispy Herby Falafel

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Crispy on the outside, light and fluffy in the middle, and packed with fresh herbs and spices – what’s not to love? The key to making great falafel is twofold. First, you need to use dried chickpeas instead of tinned ones – that’s what will give your falafel a light, fluffy almost crumbly interior. Second, you want to coarsely grind your soaked chickpeas – if they’re too finely ground, the falafel will be dense.

  • Author: zenak
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 8 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

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For the falafel: 

  • 200g dried chickpeas
  • 30g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • 30g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 4 spring onions, quartered
  • 2 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1l oil (sunflower or rapeseed)

For the green tahini sauce (optional)

  • 50g good-quality tahini
  • 75ml cold water
  • 30g fresh coriander
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ½ lemon, juice

Instructions

  1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in three times the amount of water. This step is non-negotiable: using dried chickpeas instead of tinned ones is the key to making great falafel that’s crispy on the inside and light, fluffy and almost crumbly in the middle.
  2. Rinse, drain and dry the chickpeas, then transfer to a food processor and blitz, scraping down the sides as needed, until they resemble finely chopped nuts. A course texture is key here. Transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Place the fresh coriander, fresh parsley, spring onions and garlic cloves in the same food processor (no need to wash it) and blitz until coarsely chopped.
  4. Add the chopped aromatics to the chickpeas, along with the ground cumin, ground coriander and salt. Use your hands to gently toss the mixture until everything is well-combined, then cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. This will allow the chickpea starches to seep out, which will help the falafel keep their shape.
  5. Heat the vegetable oil to 170°C. In the meantime, using wet hands, scoop out a tablespoon of the falafel mix and shape into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
  6. Working in batches, fry the falafel until deep brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.
  7. If making the green tahini sauce, place the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Serve the falafel with the sauce and enjoy.

Find it online: https://zenaskitchen.com/crispy-herby-falafel/

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