• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Edible Garden

  • Popular Categories
    • Dal Recipes
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Egg Recipes
    • Indo-Chinese Recipes
    • Mushroom Recipes
  • Kerala Recipes
  • Chocolate
  • About
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
You are here: Home / Chana or Chickpeas Recipes / How to Make Falafel – Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

How to Make Falafel – Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

November 24, 2015 48 Comments

Falafel recipe, how to make falafel at home. 

When we eat out at a Middle Eastern place, Falafel is TH’s vice. He loves anything fried and falafels are no exception. Considering how ridiculously easy they are to make at home, I have tried to deter him from ordering Falafels outside but once he very rightly pointed out that I say this all the time but never really made Falafels at home – ever! So here they are, a quick and easy snack recipe that’s kid-friendly and you can make in bulk in advance if you are entertaining. They are hard to get wrong and taste fabulous with a simple hummus or tahini sauce (or even with our Indian chutneys).

How to Make Falafel - Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

Of course I picked the theme fully intending to deep-fry, why do you ask? My initial idea was to go with cocktail samosas but had to ditch it for falafel because the shaping and filling of cocktail samosas is not exactly quick and this had to be a recipe that can easily be multiplied, leaving you time to make an effort to look good for your party.

How to Make Falafel - Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

The Egyptian version of falafel is flatter,bigger, and greener because of the use of Lima beans. I know because I had that in Egypt. Sorry for showing off.

How to Make Falafel - Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

My version however, is the kind you would get in your local Middle Eastern restaurant. Its flavourful, easy to make, and absolutely delicious, not to mention photogenic.

How to Make Falafel - Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

Falafel Recipe
Makes 16 small-ish falafels (easily doubles or triples)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight or atleast 10 hours (will be about 1 cup when soaked through)
1 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
1/2 tsp coriander powder / dhania
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp minced or crushed garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
One bunch fresh coriander leaves / cilantro, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped fine
1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tbsp plain flour (or crumbs from 2 slices of stale bread)
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

How to Make Falafel

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas on kitchen towels or leave them in a colander with a suspended base. Its important to drain out as much moisture as possible.

2. Transfer the chickpeas with rest of the ingredients to a food processor or mixer jar and grind until smooth and dry. You should be able to shape them easily into small discs. If the mixture is too moist or sticky at this stage, which it shouldn’t be, add more flour but don’t be liberal.

3. Shape into small discs and deep fry on medium heat until dark brown on both sides. Make sure you regulate the flame, otherwise the outside will get burned or cooked too soon and the inside will be raw.

4. Drain on kitchen towels and serve with tahini lemon sauce (recipe below).

Tahini Lemon Sauce Recipe

I didn’t use any particular recipe or measurement for this. I thought of making hummus to go with with the falafel but didn’t remember to soak enough chickpeas. I had fresh tahini that my ex-boss, brought from his home town Lebanon so it would’ve been a sin not to use it in some way. Thank you Charif!

How to Make Falafel - Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

How to Make Tahini Lemon Sauce for Falafel

Mix 3 tbsp of tahini, 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of paprika (or maybe pepper?), salt to taste and enough water to make a smooth paste. You can add some roasted garlic pieces to this but I didn’t have the patience time patience.

Dip the falafels in and enjoy.

How to Make Falafel - Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step

Notes:

– canned and drained chickpeas should work as well but I read in many places that freshly soaked ones taste better. I have used canned chickpeas for hummus and liked it just fine so it should definitely work for falafels too

– if you plan to make this for a party, grind the ingredients and leave it in the fridge. You can take it out in advance the next day, shape up quickly (doesn’t take more than 4 seconds per falafel, I timed myself) and fry up in batches.

– falafels taste just fine when gone cold too and the sauce can hold its own until a party winds down too. Just make sure you add water if the sauce thickens up on you.

How to Make Falafel - Easy, Crisp Falafel Recipe, step by step
Share This Recipe
  • Facebook0
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest0
  • Twitter
  • Google+0
  • Email
  • Print
0

By nags Filed Under: Chana or Chickpeas Recipes, Snacks and Appetisers, Uncategorized

logo
Food Advertising by

Subscribe

for your weekly recipe fix.

Previous Post: « Kerala-Style Fish Moilee, Meen Moilee Recipe, Step by Step
Next Post: Vegetable Kurma, Mixed Vegetable Korma Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    October 19, 2012 at 11:35 am

    How do I make tahini sauce or humus with the ingredients available in India

    Thanks
    Chitra

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    March 9, 2012 at 8:34 pm

    hi i came across this recipe . can i try frying them in kuzhi paniyaram pan instead of deep frying or baking them in oven. have u tried any one of these methods?

    Reply
    • Nagalakshmi V

      March 12, 2012 at 3:20 am

      i haven't tried baking them so not sure how that would turn out. there's no reason why it shouldn't work on a kuzhi paniyaram, really. try that 🙂

      Reply
  3. Anonymous

    January 10, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    looks so much like the south indian masal vada!

    Reply
  4. simply.food

    July 22, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Falafels look delicious very diff recipe to one I use but yours sounds simpler so will book Mark and definitely try.

    Reply
  5. Cooking Foodie

    June 11, 2011 at 11:15 am

    Yumm… love these…

    Reply
  6. Peggy

    June 5, 2011 at 1:54 am

    Oh yum! I've been seeing a lot of falafel recipes and this is by far one of the tastiest looking ones!

    Reply
  7. Nags

    June 5, 2011 at 1:02 am

    well the falafels by themselves are quite yummy anyway so no harm 🙂

    Reply
  8. Sapna

    June 4, 2011 at 6:16 am

    Hi, saw these yesterday and made them just now…yummy…had no patience to make tahini paste though …:)

    Reply
  9. Nags

    June 2, 2011 at 6:09 am

    Patels, you can cook the soaked chickpeas if you want. Just make sure its properly drained of as much moisture as possible. This step is not necessary though.

    Reply
  10. Priya Sreeram

    June 1, 2011 at 6:15 am

    looks finger-licking good !

    Reply
  11. Anu Nandu

    June 1, 2011 at 4:56 am

    If falafels could walk the ramp – these would be the showstoppers! I mean, these look hot. sexy. and perfectly devour-able. Just pass me this and I'll be happy!

    Reply
  12. Caitlin

    June 1, 2011 at 2:30 am

    Do you think these could be frozen and reheated in the oven?

    Reply
  13. Madhavi

    June 1, 2011 at 1:59 am

    OMG this falafal looks divine..want them right now!!

    http://vegetarianmedley.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  14. Radhika @foodfor7stages

    May 31, 2011 at 11:33 pm

    The pictures are lip-smacking good and they are photogenic. Can't stop drooling at them.

    Reply
  15. indosungod

    May 31, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    Absolutely marvelous pictures. Falafel in Egypt are the best. Yours look just as impressive. I think they are made with fava beans there or maybe a combination of fava and chick peas.

    Reply
  16. Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal

    May 31, 2011 at 9:56 pm

    Absolutely love your falafel recipe 🙂

    Reply
  17. Nags

    June 1, 2011 at 2:33 am

    I left these in the fridge and microwaved them the next day. Although not as crisp as when freshly made, they were just fine. Honestly, I am not sure about the freezing part. The pre-fried mixture definitely can't be because it can't have any moisture in it. Probably the fried falafels can be frozen, haven't tried it myself.

    Reply
  18. Patels_In_Canada

    May 31, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    Can you please confirm that once the chickpeas are soaked and drained and then ground ? If you use the canned chickpeas they are cooked right ? So why not boil drained chickpeas here ?

    Reply
  19. Hari Chandana

    May 31, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    Beautiful Clicks !!
    Indian Cuisine

    Reply
  20. Deepti Pawar

    May 31, 2011 at 1:55 pm

    You had me at the word Falafel. I remember our days in Qatar, where Dad would take us out on a hot summer's evening for a snack to the nearby store, and we'd buy Falafels and down then with chilled soda. Never really gave a thought as to how they were made back then. But, now you have me thinking. And, not to mention, drooling. Your pictures are fabulous, as always. Yum-de-dum!

    Reply
  21. Cool Lassi(e)

    May 31, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    Truly Mouthwatering!

    Reply
  22. Krithi's Kitchen

    May 31, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    Super-delicious nags…definitely a party pleaser…
    http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com
    Event: Serve It-Chilled

    Reply
  23. jeyashrisuresh

    May 31, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    oh wow, so sweet of u nags.

    Reply
  24. Divya Kudua

    May 31, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    The pictures look so crisp..and beautiful!

    Reply
  25. [email protected]

    May 31, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    That looks soooo delicious! great photos! i have been wanting to make falafels for so long! wanted to make my own pita bread along with it. Will try your recipe for sure 🙂

    Reply
  26. Prathibha

    May 31, 2011 at 12:31 pm

    I saw ur post in d morning and my internet was not working later…believe me or not!! ur falafels hv haunted me like anything..they r just so crisp n ur photographs made justice 2 it..I just love to stuff them in pita bread wid dat tahini sauce…sllurp….yummy!!

    Reply
  27. Plateful

    May 31, 2011 at 11:22 am

    Ohh forget, loved the crispy texture of the falafel and the perfect colour – great job!!

    Reply
  28. Plateful

    May 31, 2011 at 11:20 am

    Hey Nags, mind blowing pictures!! Particularly loved the last, fourth and the first – violet flower adds more appeal. Big hugs!

    Reply
  29. Happy Cook / Finla

    May 31, 2011 at 11:17 am

    Love love falafel yeah we had them too when were in Egypt for 3 weeks, especially he best ones i ate was from the street shop.
    These look so good>

    Reply
  30. kimberlycun

    May 31, 2011 at 10:33 am

    am not a big fan of falafel but yours look so delicious!!

    Reply
  31. Divya Vikram

    May 31, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    Sure photogenic falafels Nags.

    Reply
  32. jeyashrisuresh

    May 31, 2011 at 9:40 am

    very interesting recipe with gorgeous clicks ,Any idea where we can get tahini in SG. love the cute blue bowl!!

    Reply
  33. lata raja

    May 31, 2011 at 8:24 am

    Yes, the Egyptian falafel tastes totally different from what they sell in local Middle-Eastern restaurants. And it is not always with Lima beans, they make the chick peas ones too. You brought back memories for me with these absolutely delicious ones. The recipe and the pictures are awesome!

    Reply
  34. Priya

    May 31, 2011 at 7:06 am

    Wonderful platter, simply inviting..

    Reply
  35. The Mad Jammer

    May 31, 2011 at 6:37 am

    its like a movie, the shift from crispy falafels to the purple flowered tahini 🙂 loved it

    Reply
  36. Priti

    May 31, 2011 at 5:35 am

    Looks so yum and nice clicks …

    Reply
  37. [email protected]

    May 31, 2011 at 5:08 am

    SO delicious pictures, Nags. loved purplish atmosphere around. 🙂

    Reply
  38. Vardhini

    May 31, 2011 at 4:57 am

    Looks so yummy .. never made falafel before .. got to try it out sometime.

    Vardhini
    VardhinisKitchen

    Reply
  39. Aarthi

    May 31, 2011 at 4:54 am

    yummy….this looks so good..i have planned to make this weekend…And nags i made your garlic roll recipe..check out my blog

    Reply
  40. Gayathri Ramdas Sreekanth

    May 31, 2011 at 4:47 am

    ooo…beautiful clicks..esp the 4thn n the last one..! almost makes me feel guilty that inspite of being located in Mid-east,have had this only once/twice ! 🙁

    Reply
  41. Anonymous

    May 31, 2011 at 4:36 am

    Gorgeeeeoouuuss!
    -Hb.

    Reply
  42. Siri

    May 31, 2011 at 4:30 am

    Love every photograph in this post Nags and the recipe ofcourse. and those voilet flowers are adding so much character to the photo. I miss my camera soooo much. :-(..am tired to taking pics with my iphone. Hopefully by this weekend I should have mine. Yeh! 🙂

    Siri

    Reply
  43. Nags

    May 31, 2011 at 9:45 am

    Jeyashri, I have seen Tahini in Cold Storage but don't bother Jeyashri. I will give you some, I have lots 🙂 The quality of this tahini is amazing.

    Reply
  44. Lianne

    May 31, 2011 at 8:25 am

    This looks super yummy!

    Reply
  45. Raquel.Erecipe

    May 31, 2011 at 6:37 am

    the sauce is perfect I love all the shots

    Reply
  46. RAKS KITCHEN

    May 31, 2011 at 5:00 am

    Beautiful clicks,all are great,I liked the lemon sauce pic the best! I have to go through the recipe still,first started drooling over ur clicks…hehe

    Reply
  47. Sharmilee! :)

    May 31, 2011 at 4:47 am

    Gorgeous pictures…So bright and crisp.And the falafel looks crispy n yumm…wud luv to try it sometime 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hello!

I am Nags, the face behind Edible Garden, a food and recipes website for the busy (and sometimes lazy!) cook since 2007. My recipes are meant to be quick yet healthy and delicious - Nothing fancy, nothing too difficult. Follow Me On Instagram for real-time food and life updates.

ADS

logo
Food Advertising by

Popular Recipes

Instant Oats Idli Recipe with Rava, Step by Step
Kerala plum cake recipe
Butter Chicken Recipe, Indian Butter Chicken Masala Recipe
dosa recipe-how to make dosa
pressure cooker eggless sponge cake recipe (no oven cake)
vegetable pulao recipe
Eggless No-Bake Mango Cheesecake Recipe Step by Step
garlic pull-apart rolls recipe, eggless
paneer butter masala recipe restaurant style

Browse Older Recipes

Translate

Copyright © 2022