- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon red chilly powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup cilantro/coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 4 tablespoons flour
- sesame seeds for coating optional
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Wash and soak chickpeas in cold water overnight or for 6-8 hours.
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Once the chickpeas almost doubles in size, Wash and drain well and add this to the food processor or mixer.
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Add onion + chilly powder + cumin powder + garlic + cilantro leaves + salt + flour and process until everything is coarsely ground.
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Take a small mixture in your hand and try to roll it. It should retain its shape and not fall apart.
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Transfer into a bowl and using fork, fluff up the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
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Shape it into small balls and deep fry on medium high heat till the falafel is brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
you can add 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to the mixture after it has been refrigerated and before rolling into balls.
Fluffing up the mixture with spoon before rolling into balls yields a lighter texture too.
I tried both the methods and did not find significant difference.
If the mixture doesn't hold shape, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.
I used small cloves of garlic. Garlic can be overpowering so use accordingly. Once you are done mixing, fry a small rounded portion. Taste and adjust the flavor accordingly.
1 cup of dried chickpeas when soaked yields about 2 and 1/2 cups of soaked beans.
Canned chickpeas doesn't yield the same result as dried chickpeas.
I liked the variations of falafel and trouble shooting tips on toriavey.com.