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(1,977)
Comments
Read comments

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.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,977 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.

roadrunner

horrible loose texture... taste is fair but nothing like traditional falafel,,, look elsewhere.

julie

can they be frozen, after cooking - then bake to crisp at a later date ?

niL

I have made these so many times, the first few times with a few problems. To those folks complaining of exploding falafel: drain THOROUGHLY the soaked beans and do not use sweet onions (high water content). Add no more than 1T water. I use dried parsley and cilantro leaves in addition to all the recommended ingredients. Pulse until very fine bits (1mm ideal, IMO). Deep fry until golden but not dark. My last 12-15 batches have been great! Thanks so much, Mr Bittman, for a great recipe.

Julie

Wondering if they can be frozen, after cooking/frying - to a very light golden brown - then bake to warm and crisp them at a later date ?

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