Who doesn’t love Falafel? Whether it is served as an appetizer with a tangy dip, wrapped in a pita, or tops a healthy green salad, this spicy and flavorful food can liven up your day. Today I am going to show you how to make the most tasty falafel you ever ate!
Falafel Recipe
I first met this simple wrap not in Greece or Lebanon, but in a small southern town in America in an even smaller hole in the wall simply called the ‘House of Greek’. At that time I had not even seen a pita bread before, nor heard words like tahini or tzatziki(?). Since then I have eaten Falafel in several places but nothing really equals the quality and flavor of the Falafel I got in my favorite small town. I have tried to recreate the recipe and I have moderately succeeded.
The trick to a good Falafel is cooked chickpeas and not chana daal. Most Falafel I have eaten in India seems to be made from ground soaked chana daal which makes it taste like a daal vada! Even though chickpeas and chana daal are essentially the same, there is a big difference in taste. The other crucial trick is the right combination of spices and herbs. Parsley is essential, and so is some fresh garlic and cumin. I have seen some people use a combination of parsley and mint, and that will give a slightly different flavor.
The recipe for falafel is as follows –
Falafel is protein and fiber rich and loaded with herbs and spices. Hearty vegetarian snack recipe explains how to make falafel step by step.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry chickpeas or 2 cans chickpeas
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper
- 2 cups or 1 bunch parsley
- salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 cup Greek yogurt or 'chakka'
- 1 clove garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Pita bread of choice or Khubz
- Assorted salad vegetables
Method
- Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook until soft. Alternately, you can use the canned version. Drain and wash them to lose the canning liquid.
- Add chickpeas, parsley ( I used flat leaf), garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until it all comes together to form a dough ball. Add as little water as possible.* I recommend a food processor here instead of the wet jar of a blender because you will have to add some liquid there. A food processor can process stuff even without much liquid.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add chickpea flouer and/or corn starch to thicken the batter if needed. We have to deep fry this, and it should be thick enough so that you can fry these as fritters or dumplings or 'pakoras'.
- Heat oil in a wok using any oil with a high smoking point such as peanut, vegetable, sunflower, canola, corn etc. Fry medium size pakoras and drain them on some tissues. Set Aside. You can make these in advance and just heat them up a little in the microwave when you actually assemble your sandwich.
- For the sauce - this is a tahini based sauce. You can use store bought tahini but I recommend this homemade one because it tastes better, has no preservatives, and is economical. Plus, most Indian kitchens generally have sesame seeds in their pantry.
- Soak the til or sesame seeds in some water for half an hour or so to soften them. You can buy Greek yogurt or make an instant version at home - Line some coffee filters or kitchen towels in a strainer or colander and place it over a bowl. Add a cup or so of plain yogurt and let it drain for an hour or more. The liquid will drain away and you will be left with a creamy yogurty 'cheese'.
- Add the soaked sesame seeds, garlic, salt and pepper and yogurt to your blender or chutney jar or food processor and make a smooth paste. Add the lemon juice. If this is too thick, add some water gradually and whisk it. The sauce should not be as thick as a mayo, more like a thick blue cheese dressing. Refrigerate.
- Assemble the wrap or sandwich -
- Slightly heat the pita bread and add some lettuce leaves, onion, tomato etc. Add the falafel balls. Add some sauce on top and fold together like a taco. You can use more toppings like pineapple, olives, sprouts etc. It all depends on how big your pita bread is!
Dig in and enjoy. The sharp and spicy flavor of parsley is the star here. If you got this recipe right, the inside of your falafel should be green. This is so hearty and nutritious, and can be enjoyed in many forms.
I want you to try this easy recipe and add it to your repertoire so that you can impress your guests with a Greek menu next time. So have you tried this yet?