Middle Eastern mezze no.2: Falafel
Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 2:49PM 
Falafel is one of those foods which you either love or hate. Or is it? I think the people who hate it just haven’t had the good stuff.
When falafel is bad, it is really bad – bland and dry, you might as well be eating cardboard. It is a pity that this is many people’s only experience of falafel, because the problem is so easily remedied; add more! More spices, more herbs, more garlic, more salt. This may seem obvious, but in practice more people turn out bland falafels, than aromatic and fragrant ones, so it is worth driving the point home.
At first glance, 4 tablespoons of cumin, 3 bunches of herbs, 6 cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of salt may seem excessive, but bear in mind that this falafel mixture makes 20 to 30 balls. You can test a small bit of the raw mixture, it won't hurt you, but if you don't want to do that, then fry a little piece to check it.
Assuming that most people do not have a deep fryer at home, I have given the instructions for shallow frying, but if you have access to a deep fryer, it is preferable.
As above, this mix makes 20-30 falafels, depending on the size. You can halve the mix if you don’t want so many or just cook what you need and freeze the leftover mixture for another time.
Falafel is most often consumed in a wrap, with sauces and salad. I usually serve it as part of a mezze selection with flatbread on the side so that people can make up their own mind whether to wrap it or fork it. Small falafels with tzatziki or hummous also make a great party snack.
Ingredients
500g dried chick peas, soaked overnight in cold water - don't use tinned, they won't hold together
4 tbsp cumin seed, toasted and ground
2 tbsp coriander seed, toasted and ground
1 red onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 large bunch parsley, roughly chopped
1 large bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 large bunch mint, roughly chopped
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1.5 - 2 tbsp of salt, to taste
Vegetable oil, for frying
Method
Drain the chick peas, rinse and put in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the salt and oil and stir to combine. Transfer portions of the mixture to a food processor and blend in batches. Blend until you have a thick paste; the mixture should not be completely smooth and uniform, but rather a pale green flecked with yellow chick peas and darker green herbs. Season with salt, to taste (you can taste the raw mixture or fry a small amount).
Roll the falafel mix into balls, slightly bigger than a golf ball, and place on a tray lined with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
To shallow fry: fill a frying pan with 2cm vegetable oil and place over a high heat. To test the temperature, put a small pinch of the falafel mix in the oil - it should start sizzling instantly. Fry the falafel in small batches, pressing down when you put them in the pan, so that they colour more evenly. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen roll to remove any excess oil and then put on a tray in the oven to keep warm while you fry the rest.
To deep fry: fill a deep saucepan with at least 10cm vegetable oil and place over a high heat. To test the temperature, put a small pinch of the falafel mix in the oil - it should start sizzling instantly. When you have the right temperature turn the heat down to medium. Gently lower the falafel balls into the oil in small batches, using a slotted metal spoon. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. As above, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen roll to remove any excess oil and then put on a tray in the oven to keep warm while you fry the rest.
Vix
Rachel left a helpful comment under Stephanie Alexander's advice on preparing and cooking chick peas in my tips and techniques section.
Does this mean that if you wanted to use tinned chickpeas for your falafel recipe that you would need to use 1kg as the 500g uncooked would swell to weigh that much?
In reading this I realised that I had failed to mention that this is one of few recipes where tinned chick peas can't be substituted for dried ones because they should not be cooked (just soaked). If you use cooked chick peas in this recipe you will find that the mix does not hold together properly when frying. I have seen some recipes that use tinned chick peas, but they usually use flour or egg to bind the mixture.
Thanks Rachel for raising this important point!
Reader Comments (4)
YUM!
Funny you should do a post on falafel... as I was walking to dinner the other night, i walked past a restaurant that for some reason decided to hand me some samples... low and behold a green nugget of greatness! It was sooo good, i almost changed my plans to eat there instead (but as i was meeting rather a large group I thought the maneuvering may prove somewhat difficult so decided against). The only falafels I can ever remember liking were our fathers, which i haven't had in a long time...so I am very happy to see this post which i shall be trying out in the next couple of weeks...mostly because you've allowed me to add more more more (salt!) ...and you know how i like that, but the other fabulous thing about falafels is they really are an excuse for condiments...HEAPS of them....and i like that even more!!!
A green nugget of greatness, that is a happy coincidence! Lucky too, given how often they can be horrid.
Yes, that is my favourite thing about them too, indeed about all the mezze dishes I will be putting up - they are all an excuse for each other... in copious quantities.
Oh, and Hash Brown has lost his recipe, I asked him for it for this post. In the end, I remembered most of the ingredients and checked them against several recipes online and I think the result is much like his.
I'm making this as well as a couple of other things to go in some wraps for lunches tomorrow. I have to say I'm one of those people who has only ever experienced falafel as a light brown nugget of mediocrity. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight!
Hi Ray, I do hope you enjoy them. Sounds like a nice packed lunch, just make sure you take some chewing gum or mouthwash for after so as not to scare off all your colleagues with the garlic breath! ;)