Falafel is one of my favorite dishes in the world. These fried Mediterranean chick pea (we call them garbanzos in Spanish) balls are not supposed to be hard to make, but I have struggled mightily with one recipe after another, unable to get one that was crunchy outside, creamy yet nutty inside, that would hold together nicely for me in the pan.
Into the frying pan….
Until now.
I freely admit that I used beans from a can. I have tried and tried to make them by soaking dried chick peas. I hated the grainy texture of the few that didn’t completely disintegrate in the skillet. Using canned chick peas is a small defeat on the path to greater victory. I didn’t even riff off any particular recipe…I just combined flavors that had worked out in the past with techniques that had sort of worked out, and went for the can opener for my main ingredient.
Sometimes spelled felafel, I like mine golden and very creamy inside.
Pedro of the “mostly vegan except when it’s not” crazy-ass diet loved them. Leandro of the “I hate garbanzos because I don’t like the way they look” declaration loved them. My unpredictable mother, Myrna, loved them. And I loved them too (and I was really the one that mattered in this pursuit of perfection). I hope you will too! This is a recipe for a small amount…so you can give them a shot if you’re new to falafel and then double the recipe once you are hooked! Click on for fabulously simple recipe….plus a quickie tahini sauce for topping
Full of healthy goodness and completely vegan, these falafel make a great salad topper
Falafel
(serves 1 as main course; two as appetizer)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano, dry, or 2 tsp fresh
¼ tsp coarse salt
1 Cup chick peas (garbanzos), drained
1 Tbs flour
Vegetable oil for frying
In a mortar and pestle, grind cumin, coriander, garlic, oregano and salt into a paste. Put paste in a bowl and add garbanzos and flour, mashing with a fork. Heat the oil in a skillet until rippling. Form the dough into about six balls, about 2 inches around, and flatten. Fry the falafel patties until golden (lowering heat of oil to medium after adding falafel to skillet) and getting crispy, about 3 minutes each side, then let drain on paper towels. Serve with a
Quickie Tahini Dressing (1 Tbs tahini, 1 Tbs plain yogurt, ½ tsp minced garlic, pinch salt whisked together) over salad or stuffed in a pita with salad.
Hot, Cheap & Easy 
love the sound of your recipe! falafel is a favourite… must try yours!
Thanks! I look forward to eating a lot of it this winter…
I’ve never been a huge fan of garbanzos’ texture when they’re whole, but I do love them mashed in hummus and falafel. Yay! Canned? Super-yay! Why knock yourself out when they’re readily available pre-cooked and *not* grainy and unpleasant?? I would love to give this a shot, and hope to soon. Thanks for another inspiration!
I think you’ll enjoy this. I will be making them often this winter. I haven’t completely gone off meat, but I prefer a grainy green diet!
Nothing wrong with beans from a can. We tend to do dried beans because they’re just so much cheaper. But it makes you have to plan. These look great.
Am having a wonderfully soft laugh at a recipe for one!! Or two!! Have loved falafel forever and oft make ~ hmmph, using a falafel spice mix from one of my favourite local spice merchants. Really have to try it your way: lovely to know the proportions for one 🙂 !
Natalia, sounds pretty easy….will definitely try out the recipe!
Let me know how it turns out!!!
Ah and only a little oil for the frying!? I must admit to have been defeated by felafel in the past too and like you I love them. I am going to add this one to the ever increasing recipes of yours that i make often. Just as soon as it is October!! I don’t think there is anything at all wrong with using a can of beans, for a start i always forget to soak beans a day ahead.. plus if the beans are at all stale they just don’t work the same. I am more than happy to open a can. OK my cows are mooing at me.. i had better start work! c
The tinned beans definitely have the right texture…and these days are so busy, I need an instant option for when I can’t plan ahead!
Brilliant I love falafel.
Tinned garbanzos are much softer, having sat in liquid for a long time. My friend Audrey always peels her cooked garbanzos to get rid of the chewy skin, but it does seem like an awful lot of work 😉
Oh no, I won’t be peeling garbanzos any time soon!
Me neither!
Fantástica receta, Natalia. Esta me la guardo para hacerla un día de estos no muy lejano. Un abrazo
G
Gracias Giovanna! Un abrazote…