Crispy falafel made from soaked chickpeas blitzed with onions, garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, fresh parsley, fresh coriander and sesame seeds! Fry until golden then serve with your favourite sauces and veggies in a pita pocket.
I've had a lot of requests for vegetarian meals over the years and our recipe index now includes over 50 options to chose from. I'm so excited to add another great option to the mix with this delicious Homemade Falafel. Although a little extra time is required to soak the chickpeas, the results are well worth it!
Chickpeas are a great source of fibre and protein. Check out some of my other great chickpea recipes here: Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Gyros, Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry and Moroccan Chickpea Salad.
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Ingredient notes:
- Chickpeas: This is the key ingredient! Use raw, dried chickpeas to get the best results. They have a delicious texture. It's faster to use canned chickpeas but they will give you a mushy pancake type texture. The flavour will still be okay, but way yummier when you make the effort to use dried.
- Fresh herbs: I use parsley and coriander, if you aren't a fan of the controversial herb you could use some mint or dill in its place.
- Ground spices: These are really important to create the beautiful falafel flavour. You can leave the cayenne pepper if you like, but the ground cumin and ground coriander are essential!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
In a large bowl, soak the dried chickpeas with baking soda and water for at least 8 hours or overnight. When the chickpeas are fully soaked (you can bite one and make sure it's not hard in the middle), drain and add to a food processor.
Add all of the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds and oil. Blitz for 40 seconds at a time, scraping the sides down as you go. Process until you reach a consistency that has some texture but the mix is smooth enough to form into a ball shape.
Stir through the sesame seeds. Scoop out heaped tablespoons, roll into balls then flatten slightly ready to fry.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. In a large frying pan, heat oil. Add the falafels and fry on each side until golden brown. Transfer to an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes, turning half way through.
Serve the falafel warm from the oven with warm pita pockets, salad and yoghurt sauce.
Recipe FAQs:
The baking soda helps to soften the chickpeas. If you soak your beans long enough, there's no need to use the baking powder, it just speeds up the soaking process.
Nope, not if you want the delicious texture!
Sure thing! This would be delicious and give you the crunchy texture all over. Falafel is traditionally cooked this way.
Storage:
The falafel mix can be made up to 5 days in advance. Combine all the ingredients apart from the baking powder and store covered in the fridge. Add the baking powder just before cooking to ensure the patties rise.
Store any leftover cooked falafel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until piping hot.
Cooked patties can also be frozen. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up three months. Defrost completely before reheating.
Top tips:
You can't really over soak the chickpeas, better to soak longer than less. If they aren't fully soaked you will end up with dry crumbly falafel.
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Homemade Falafel
Crispy falafel made from soaked chickpeas, garlic, onion, lemon juice, ground cumin and coriander, fresh parsley, fresh coriander and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas (not canned)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 3 cups warm water
- ½ onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ cup vegetable oil
To serve
- Toasted Pita Breads
- Salad
- Garlic yoghurt or Tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, soak the dried chickpeas with baking soda and water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- When the chickpeas are fully soaked (you can bite one and make sure it's not hard in the middle), drain and add to a food processor.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds and oil. Blitz for 40 seconds at a time, scraping the sides down as you go. Process until you reach a consistency that has some texture but the mix is smooth enough to form into a ball shape.
- Stir through the sesame seeds. Scoop out heaped tablespoons, roll into balls then flatten slightly ready to fry
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
- In a large frying pan, heat oil. Add the falafels and fry on each side until golden brown. Transfer to an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes, turning half way through.
- Serve the falafel warm from the oven with warm pita pockets, salad and yoghurt sauce.
Notes
- You can’t really over soak the chickpeas, better to soak longer than less. If they aren’t fully soaked you will end up with dry crumbly falafel.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 215Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 475mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Stephanie says
What temperature do you bake these on? 180?
VJ cooks says
Hi Stephanie, thanks for your comment. I've amended the recipe to include pre heating the oven to 180°C fan bake. Apologies for the oversight!
Lynda says
Could you make & freeze some
Vanya Insull says
Hi Lynda - Yes, the cooked patties can also be frozen. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up three months. Defrost completely before reheating. Thanks!
Sophie says
Hi there, I struggled with keeping the balls together during the frying process. What could have gone wrong?
VJ cooks says
There are a few things that could have happened. 1) If the mixture is too wet, it won't bind. This can be rectified by adding some chickpea flour. 2) The chickpeas are over processed. They should be blitzed to pieces, not smooth like hummus. 3) If the mixture is too warm. If you're making these on a particularly hot day you can chill the mixture in the fridge before frying. 4) If the oil isn't hot enough. If you're using lukewarm oil instead of hot oil (around 175°C) then the patties can fall apart before getting a chance to form a crust. I hope these tips help!