Falafel

By Mark Bittman

Updated April 17, 2024

Falafel
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour, plus soaking
Rating
5(2,062)
Comments
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These tender and surprisingly light falafel are excellent tucked into a pita or served as an appetizer with a bowl of creamy tahini sauce. Deep-frying is called for here, but don't fret. Frying is thought of as messy, but this can be mitigated by the simplest of measures: Use a heavy, broad and deep pot, a fair amount of oil and don’t crowd (cook in batches if you need to). You’ll know when they’re done because the color will be evenly gorgeous. If you're still not convinced, you can bake the falafel on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes. The results won't be as crisp, but equally delicious.

Featured in: Deep Fried and Good for You

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 1¾cups dried chickpeas or 1 cup dried chickpeas plus ¾ cup dried split fava beans
  • 2garlic cloves, lightly crushed
  • ½onion, quartered
  • 1teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste; or mild chile powder to taste
  • ½cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • ½teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • 1tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
  • Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola, for deep-frying
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

243 calories; 5 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 179 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 to 4 inches; they will triple in volume as they soak. Soak for 24 hours, checking once or twice to see if you need to add water to keep the beans covered.

  2. Step 2

    Drain beans well and transfer to a food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the oil; pulse until minced but not puréed; add water tablespoon by tablespoon if necessary to allow the machine to do its work, but keep the mixture as dry as possible. (Too much water and your falafel will fall apart. If that happens, add more ground beans.) Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, cayenne or a little more lemon juice as needed.

  3. Step 3

    Put at least 2 to 3 inches of oil (more is better) in a large, deep saucepan (the narrower the pan, the less oil you need; but the more oil you use, the more you can cook at one time). Turn heat to medium high and heat oil to about 350 (a pinch of batter will sizzle immediately; a piece of falafel will sink halfway to the bottom, then rise).

  4. Step 4

    Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the mixture and shape it into balls or small patties.

  5. Step 5

    Fry in batches, without crowding, until nicely browned, turning as necessary; total cooking time per batch will be less than 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,062 user ratings
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Comments

late adopter

There's a recipe I once saw on the internet that has a key tip for falafel, in my experience. The soaked beans should be processed alone to a bread crumb texture. Then the other stuff (cilantro, parsley, onion, garlic, spices, etc.) should be processed separately into a slurry. The two should then be mixed together. This prevents the overall mixture from becoming too wet and keeps a more bread-like texture to the falafel.

Amy

Great basic formula, but the mix bakes just as well as it fries (or better, if you don't like fried food). 20-ish minutes at about 375 until golden brown; not as crisp, but simple and less greasy.

Régine B.

Perfect recipe. Instead of deep frying, I like to make patties instead of balls, and shallow fry them on each side.

Chris

The trick to hold them together until finally fried is in my opinion the following. Pulse them in the food processor carefully. Not too corse, not too fine. The ideal consistency is in my opinion a bit coarser than corse polenta. The falafels formed from that batter then have such a consistency that they almost fell apart. Form them with your hands, firmly pressing the batter between your hands. Then, carefully shift about 3 of the falafels on a slotted spoon. Heat about 1 liter canola oil in a small pot to 170 Celsius. This is important, because when you transfer your falafels with the slotted spoon into the hot oil, the outer surface of the falafels will crust immediately, holding everything together. Is the temperature too low, the falafels will fall apart. The falafels will be finished in about 3 minutes.

James

I have a question regarding consistency - mine just fall apart when I try to mould them into any sort of shape. Is there something I’m missing? Thanks everyone.

Mathew

What is the smallest size food processor that I would need for this recipe?

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