Authentic Arabic & Levantine Recipes
Falafel Recipe: Crispy Levantine Chickpea Fritters from Scratch
Authentic Levantine falafel are made from dried chickpeas soaked overnight in cold water and ground raw with onion, garlic, herbs and falafel spices. Shaped with a falafel scoop and deep-fried until golden brown, they have a crunchy crust and a light, fluffy centre.
Also known as:Syrian and Palestinian falafelHomemade chickpea falafelAuthentic falafel dough
Servings4
Prep time25 min
Cook time15 min
Ingredients
Add all ingredients to cart- 500 g dried chickpeas, rinsed and soaked in plenty of cold water for 12 hours
- 1 medium onion, quartered, and 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander
- 1.5 tbsp falafel spice mix (or 1 tbsp ground coriander and 1 tbsp ground cumin)
- Salt and 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (added just before frying)
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds for coating and vegetable oil for deep-frying
Preparation Steps
- 1Drain the soaked raw chickpeas thoroughly and grind them in a meat mincer or food processor with the onion, garlic, herbs and 3 tbsp cold water until you have a fine, sandy paste that holds together when pressed.
- 2Mix in the falafel spice blend and salt and rest the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes (you can freeze portions of the raw mixture at this stage before adding bicarbonate of soda).
- 3Right before frying, dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 1 tbsp water and whip it vigorously into the falafel mixture by hand for 2 minutes to aerate the dough.
- 4Heat deep oil over medium heat, dip a metal falafel scoop in water, pack and press the patties with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and fry in batches for 15 minutes in total (4 to 5 minutes per batch) until crisp and dark golden.
