What is falafel?
Traditional falafel is made from
ground chickpeas or fava beans, herbs and spices. The mixture is then formed into balls
or patties and deep fried for a texture that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, sort of
like a fritter.
It’s a classic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipe that’s enjoyed as street food and often served up
as part of
mezze (a group of small meals).
Falafel ingredients
Falafel are naturally gluten-free and made from a few simple ingredients. Here’s what’s in my recipe:
-
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans): Only use dried and soaked chickpeas, not canned
chickpeas in this
recipe. Canned chickpeas
will be too soft and wet and your falafel will not form properly.
-
Onion: I use yellow onion for a slightly stronger flavor, but you could use white
or red
onion as well.
-
Parsley and Cilantro: These two delicious herbs inject heaps of flavor into your
falafel and
turn the inside a
beautiful, vibrant green.
-
Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves rather than garlic powder for the most robust
flavor.
-
Green Chile Pepper (Serrano Pepper): A small pepper adds a kick of flavor and spice
without
over-powering the falafel.
You can adjust this to more or less, but don’t omit it without trying it first – trust me.
-
Cumin, Cardamom, Salt and Black Pepper: These aromatic spices are used often in
Middle
Eastern cooking and have an earthy, spicy, assertive flavor you’ll love.
-
Chickpea Flour: This helps to bind the mixture together and retain the shape while
frying. I
prefer chickpea flour, but
you could also use a gluten-free flour blend.
-
Baking Soda: A key ingredient for helping to provide the fluffy inside texture of
the
falafel.
-
Oil for Frying: I use avocado oil as it’s high-heat stable and my preferred cooking
oil. But
you could use vegetable oil as well.
*Note: While this recipe is gluten-free and all falafel I’ve had overseas have been made with
gluten-free ingredients,
always double check the flour used and if there’s cross-contamination with the oil.
