Falafel
Chickpea & Herb Fritters
Palestinian falafel is built from dried chickpeas soaked overnight and a generous amount of parsley, cilantro, and mint, ground with onion and warm spices into a coarse paste. Fried in hot oil, the fritters turn dark and crisp on the outside while the inside stays green, tender, and fragrant. They are best eaten warm, tucked into pita with pickles, tomatoes, and a spoonful of tahini, and they make one of the most satisfying vegan meals you can put together at home.
Method
Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl, add the baking soda, and pour in enough cold water to cover them by several inches. Soak for at least 24 hours (they will roughly double in size), then drain and rinse well.
Roughly chop the onion and the parsley, cilantro, and mint.
In a large bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, chopped onion and herbs, ground cumin, ground coriander, whole coriander seed, and salt and pepper to taste; toss to mix.
Working in batches, pulse the mixture in a food processor to a coarse, sandy paste. Do not over-process into a smooth puree, and combine the batches back together in a large bowl.
Transfer the batter to a strainer set over a bowl to drain excess moisture, then refrigerate for a few hours to firm up.
Form the batter into small balls, about the size of a golf ball or slightly smaller.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough vegetable oil to fully submerge the falafel to about 375 F (190 C). Use plenty of oil so the temperature stays high when the cold falafel are added, keeping them crisp rather than greasy.
Fry one ball as a test. If it falls apart, work a little flour into the batter to bind it, but add as little as possible so the falafel do not turn cakey.
Fry the falafel in batches until light golden brown, then remove and drain. They continue cooking off the heat, so pull them slightly lighter than you think.
To serve, warm a pita, cut it in half, and open each half into a pocket. Add a couple of falafel, your favorite garnishes such as fresh tomatoes, mint, pickles, and hot sauce, top with one more falafel, drizzle with tahini sauce, and gently press together.
Cook’s notes
- Use only soaked dried chickpeas, never canned or pre-cooked ones, or the fritters will fall apart in the oil instead of frying up crisp.
- Shape the mixture ahead and freeze it, then fry the pieces straight from the freezer.
- For a more generous sandwich, add fried eggplant slices or french fries alongside the falafel.
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