Downshiftology Falafels (fried or baked)

• servings: 18 servings
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight (don't use canned chickpeas)

½ cup roughly chopped onion

1 cup roughly chopped parsley (about a one large bunch)

1 cup roughly chopped cilantro (about a one large bunch)

1 small green chile pepper (serrano or jalapeno pepper)

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cardamom

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or other flour)

½ teaspoon baking soda

oil for frying

Directions

Soak your dried chickpeas overnight or for at least 8 to 12 hours. Note that the chickpeas will triple in size, so cover them with plenty of water. Then drain and rinse them.

Add

Pulse all the ingredients to a food processor. Add the chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, green pepper, and spices to a food processor. I recommend roughly chopping up the onion, herbs, and pepper before adding for the best texture. Then, pulse the food processor but do not blend completely. The final mixture should resemble coarse sand.

Stir

Chill the falafel. Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl and add the chickpea flour and baking soda. Stir together, then cover or add a lid and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to one hour.

Scoop

Shape the falafel. Use your hands, an ice cream scoop or falafel scoop to form the falafel into balls or patties. If you find the mixture is too wet, you can add another tablespoon of chickpea flour. If it's too dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice.

Cook the falafel. Once the falafel are formed, you can cook them by your preferred method mentioned above. To deep fry the falafel, add about 3 inches of oil to a pot on medium heat. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Cook the falafel in batches (about 6 to 8 at a time) for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.

Remove the falafel. Use a skimmer to check the color of the falafel and make sure they don't overcook. Then remove them to a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve the falafel immediately, while warm and crispy on the outside. They're delicious served with tahini sauce as well.

Notes

TIPS

• If your falafel breaks apart, it’s probably because the mixture wasn’t processed to a fine enough texture. You can pulse the mixture a bit more, or if they’re too dry, add more water to help bind them together.

• If your falafel mixture is still wet after chilling, mix in a bit more chickpea flour before forming into balls.

• If you can’t have cilantro, you can use parsley on its own or swap in another tender herb.

• For cooking in the air fryer, I’ve had readers tell me that they’ve had success by air frying them at 400°F (200°C) for about 5 to 6 minutes.

FREEZING & STORAGE TIPS

• Freeze the falafel dough: Good news, you can make them ahead of time and freeze raw balls of falafel for up to 3 months, then cook individual portions on demand using the methods listed. No need to thaw the balls beforehand!

• Storing leftovers for the week: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

• Reheating leftovers: While you can easily reheat cooked falafel in the microwave, they’ll be crispier on the outside if you reheat them in a 400° (200°C) oven for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

• Calories: 48 kcal
• Total Fat: 1 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0.5 g
• Sodium: 166 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 2 g
• Protein: 3 g