Falafel

Name: Falafel
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Levant
Ingredients: 400 g dried chickpeas (NOT canned: this is non-negotiable), soaked overnight in cold water; 1 small onion, roughly chopped; 5 garlic cloves, peeled; 40 g fresh coriander (cilantro): leaves and tender stems; 30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley: leaves and tender stems; 2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground; 1.5 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper or hot chilli powder; 1 tsp fine salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp baking powder; 2 tbsp plain flour or chickpea flour (besan), plus extra if needed to bind; 1 litre neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable), for deep frying; 6 pitta breads, to serve; 4 tbsp tahini sauce (tahini, lemon, garlic, water, salt whisked together); 2 tomatoes, sliced; 0.5 cucumber, sliced; pickled turnips, to serve

The Levant's great street food: crisp, herb-green chickpea fritters fragrant with coriander seed and leaf

Origin: Levant (Egypt / Lebanon / Palestine / Israel)

From the journey of Coriander/Cilantro.

Falafel is one of the world's great street foods and arguably the most iconic Levantine dish, deep-fried patties or balls of soaked (never cooked) chickpeas or fava beans, ground with fresh coriander, fresh parsley, garlic, cumin, and coriander seeds. The origin is disputed with genuine passion: Egypt claims priority with ta'amiya, made from dried fava beans and still sold from carts in Cairo before dawn; Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel popularised and globalised the chickpea version. Both versions share the defining characteristic of abundant fresh coriander and ground coriander seeds, which give falafel its characteristic vibrant green interior and its herb-forward, citrusy, faintly spiced flavour, remove the coriander and you have a different dish entirely. Coriander seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs dating to c.1000 BCE; the fact that this single dish uses both the seed (as a spice) and the fresh leaf (as a herb) illustrates better than almost any other recipe the dual identity of the coriander plant. Falafel spread from the Middle East to become a global street food, adapted into pitta pockets with tahini sauce, pickled turnips, tomato, cucumber, and zhug or hot sauce.

Ingredients

Base

400 g dried chickpeas (NOT canned: this is non-negotiable), soaked overnight in cold water
1 small onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled

Herbs

40 g fresh coriander (cilantro): leaves and tender stems
30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley: leaves and tender stems

Spice

2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground
1.5 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper or hot chilli powder

Seasoning

1 tsp fine salt
0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Leavening

1 tsp baking powder

Binder

2 tbsp plain flour or chickpea flour (besan), plus extra if needed to bind

Frying

1 litre neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable), for deep frying

To serve

6 pitta breads, to serve
4 tbsp tahini sauce (tahini, lemon, garlic, water, salt whisked together)
2 tomatoes, sliced
0.5 cucumber, sliced
pickled turnips, to serve

Method

The night before: drain the soaked chickpeas thoroughly and spread on a clean towel to dry as much as possible. Moisture is the enemy of good falafel: canned chickpeas contain too much water and will result in a paste that disintegrates during frying.
Place the dried chickpeas in a food processor with the onion, garlic, fresh coriander, and parsley. Pulse in short bursts: you want a rough, slightly grainy texture, not a smooth paste. It should hold together when pressed but still have visible texture.
Add the ground coriander seeds, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, baking powder, and flour. Pulse again briefly to combine. Transfer to a bowl.
Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours). This rest is important: it firms the mixture and allows the flavours to develop. If the mixture feels too loose after resting, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 175–180°C. Use a thermometer: temperature control is critical. Too cool and the falafel absorbs oil and collapses; too hot and the outside burns before the inside sets.
Form the mixture into balls or flat patties about 4cm across using wet hands or a falafel scoop. Do not pack them too tightly: a looser ball gives a lighter interior.
Fry in batches of 5–6, turning once, for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden-brown all over. Do not crowd the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve immediately inside warm pitta with tahini sauce, tomato, cucumber, and pickled turnips. Falafel must be eaten fresh: they lose their crisp exterior within minutes.

Notes

Falafel does not reheat well, the exterior softens and the interior dries out. Uncooked formed patties can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to one month; fry from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the cooking time. For the Egyptian ta'amiya version, substitute the same weight of dried split fava beans (ful medames) for the chickpeas; add a handful of fresh dill alongside the coriander and parsley, and include a tablespoon of spring onion. For a baked version, brush with oil and bake at 200°C for 25 minutes, turning halfway, the texture is different but acceptable.

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control