Falafel: Home Cooking Recipes In The Oven And Slow Cooker

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Incredibly delicious falafel: homemade recipes

Falafel is incredibly common in Israel. Few meals are complete without this food. Whether it's home cooking, a student canteen, a vegetarian cafe or a fine restaurant, wherever you go, falafel is bound to be there! What is this dish? Why did it become so famous? And what recipes for its preparation exist?

Content

• 1 Falafel - what is it?

• 2 Step-by-step home cooking recipes

  • 2.1 Classic version
  • 2.2 Green peas with chickpea flour
  • 2.3 Beans
  • 2.4 With the addition of bulgur

  • 2.5 In pita bread

    2.5.1 Video: falafel with sauce in pita bread

  • 2.6 In the oven
  • 2.7 In a multicooker

  • 2.8 With the addition of carrots

    2.8.1 Video: how to cook a delicious falafel with carrots

• 3 Feedback and advice from the forums

Falafel - what is it?

Falafel are small balls made of chopped boiled chickpeas or other beans with a variety of spices, fried in oil. The resulting rounds are good with an appetizing golden brown crust, a spicy filling of a pleasant yellow color and, of course, aroma.

Bean balls are fried in boiling oil

There are many options for complementing the delicacy. The most popular are:

• pita;
• wheat cakes or thin pita bread;
• vegetables - cucumber, tomato, eggplant;
• crisps;
• hummus;
• mint leaves;
• as a filling - minced meat, boiled eggs with onions;
• sesame sauce;
• zhug;
• yogurt.

It is believed that falafel was invented by the Egyptians, who replaced it with meat during Lent. Nowadays, the dish is known in the cuisines of the Middle East, Africa, the Middle East, and in Israel it is even a national dish and a symbol of the country.

A simple and satisfying dish!

Step-by-step home cooking recipes

Classic version

Ingredients:

• chickpeas - 250 g;
• sesame seeds - 1 tbsp l.;
• green onions - 2-3 stems;
• cumin - 3 tsp;
• coriander - 3 tsp;
• chili - 1/2 tsp;
• lemon juice - 2 tsp;
• olive oil.

Cooking process:

1. Soak the main ingredient. To do this, place the chickpeas in a deep container and fill it with cold water so that it covers 3-4 cm. Ideally, the beans should be left overnight, but if there is no time at all, then 6-8 hours can be limited.

   

   The first step is to soak the chickpeas in advance

2. Fry the sesame seeds. Grind them with a mortar or any other heavy object. Add a couple of drops of olive oil if desired.

   

   Sesame is supposed to be chopped

   You should get a smooth sesame paste.

   

   You need to get this sesame paste

3. Finely chop the green onion.

   

   Green onions are chopped with a knife

4. In a blender bowl, turn the soaked chickpeas into a paste in several passes. Don't take too many beans at a time.

   

   Chickpeas are crushed with a blender

5. In a blender bowl, combine sesame paste, dried cumin, coriander, chili and chopped onion. This is a classic falafel spice combination and can be purchased dry from the store. If some of the spices are not found, that's okay, the taste will be good anyway.

   

   Spices interfere with the crushed beans

6. Combine all ingredients in a deep bowl and add lemon juice.

   

   Dressed bean dough with lemon juice

7. Mix everything thoroughly until smooth. The dough should be crumbly. If this consistency is not to your liking, you can add ready-made bulugur to the mass, making the balls juicier.

   

   As a result of all the manipulations, such a dough should be obtained.

8. We form small but strong balls, squeeze them carefully with our hands so that they do not crumble during the frying process.

   

   The balls are supposed to be made small, but dense

9. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan (preferably olive oil). It must cover at least half the height of the ball. It's easy to check whether the oil has warmed up enough: we drip a little water into it - if it hisses, then it's time to start the falafel. We do several approaches, 3-4 balls at a time.

   

   Then the falafel is fried in oil

10. Fry, gently turning over, until the balls are completely covered with a golden brown crust. Spread on paper towels to get rid of excess oil.

    

    When golden brown, the falafel can be pulled out

11. Serve with various sauces (for example, sesame) or yogurt.

    

    Ready-made classic falafel served with herbs and sauce

Green peas with chickpea flour

Ingredients:

• green peas (frozen) - 400 g;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• cilantro - a bunch;
• spices: cumin (cumin), turmeric, coriander, cumin - 0.5 tsp each;
• chickpea flour - 1-3 tbsp. l.;
• salt, pepper (to taste);
• deep fat oil (olive oil is ideal).

Cooking process:

1. Defrost the peas.

   

   Peas are supposed to be thawed

2. Peel the onions and garlic.
3. Grind the spices in a mortar.

4. Process the onions and garlic with a blender.

   

   Garlic is chopped in a blender

5. Add green peas to them and chop until smooth in mashed potatoes. Add water if necessary.

6. Add spices, finely chopped cilantro, followed by some chickpea flour. Mix everything thoroughly.

   

   Be sure to add chickpea flour

7. Form the resulting mass into medium-sized balls. M You can adjust for this case a few small spoonfuls.

   

   Balls can be shaped using spoons

8. Fry the falafel in preheated oil in a deep fryer.
9. When golden brown, place the falafel on a paper towel.

10. Serve either on its own or in a flatbread. It is allowed to add a light vegetable salad.

    

    Serve Pea Falafel in Pita

Beans

Beans for our latitudes are much more familiar than chickpeas. It can also be used to make falafel.

Ingredients:

• beans - 3 cups;
• water - 1.5 l;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• greens - a large bunch;
• sesame seeds - 5 tbsp. l.;
• salt - a pinch;

• ghee - 2 tbsp. l.

  

  Essential foods for making falafel

Cooking process:

1. Soak the beans in cold water for at least six hours.

2. Grind the soaked beans with a blender until puree.

   

   Beans are ground in a blender until puree

3. Peel the garlic bulbs and cloves.

   

   Onions and garlic are supposed to be peeled

4. Chop the onion, garlic and herbs with a blender until smooth.

   

   The mixture with herbs should be mixed with a blender

5. Chop the garlic and pour into the mixture, add sesame seeds and a little salt. Stir everything.

   

   Garlic is also added to the mixture.

6. Form into balls (patties).

7. Fry everything in a preheated skillet using ghee.

   

   The falafel is fried until golden brown

8. Place the finished falafel on paper towels to remove excess fat.

   

   Finished falafel is laid out on paper towels and then served and served

With the addition of bulgur

Falafel with the addition of bulugur turns out to be less crumbly, but more juicy.

Ingredients:

• chickpeas;
• bulugur;
• garlic;
• parsley;
• spices to taste;
• vegetable oil for deep fat.

Cooking process:

1. Pre-soak the chickpeas (at least 8-9 hours before cooking, preferably overnight). You can leave the beans in salt water.

2. Grind the soaked chickpeas with a blender. It is allowed to use a meat grinder.

   

   Chickpeas are ground in a blender

3. We calculate the required amount of bulugur. We evaluate the resulting chickpea paste, one-seventh is the required volume of cereal.
4. Pour the required amount of bulgur with salted boiling water, it should swell well.

5. Chop the parsley and garlic, add them and a little paprika to the chickpea puree.

   

   Spices are poured into the finished puree

6. Heat the cumin, coriander, black pepper in a frying pan without adding oil. Then we grind the spices in a mortar, adding salt.
7. We check bulgur: a sticky consistency is needed so that it can become a binder for the dough.

8. We shift the cereals into chickpeas with a spoon, carefully decanting the water. Do not wring out bulugur!

   

   Bean dough mixed with bulgur

9. We try the resulting dough. Ideally, it should appear slightly salty.
10. Roll up medium-sized balls (if you plan to serve falafel in pita, it is better to make it smaller). They should turn out to be a little loose.
11. We heat the vegetable oil in deep fat (you can put a whole peeled onion there for a short time).
12. Let's dip the falafel in it. When the balls are covered with a crust, they should be turned over.
13. Fry everything for five minutes and put it on a paper napkin.

14. Serve as you wish or in pita, greased with sesame paste, with the addition of fresh vegetables.

    

    Chickpea-bulgur falafel served in pita with vegetables

In lavash

Ingredients for the dough:

• water - 50 ml;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• chickpeas - 150 g;
• parsley - 1 bunch;
• coriander - 5 g;
• olive oil - 200 ml;
• flour - 250 g;
• ground black pepper - 4 g;
• sea salt - 10 g.

Filling:

• cucumbers - 2 pcs.;
• romaine salad - 30 g;
• purple onion - 1 pc.;
• tomatoes - 3 pcs.;
• thin pita bread - 4 pcs.

Sauce:

• white sesame - 200 g;
• ground black pepper - 4 g;
• lemon juice - 3 tsp;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• olive oil - 80 ml;
• parsley - 1 bunch;

• salt - 10 g.

  

  Real shawarma with falafel!

Cooking process:

1. We clean the onion and carrots.
2. Cooking the sauce. To do this, finely chop white sesame seeds, herbs, garlic in a blender. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Do not forget to salt and pepper.
3. We take out the pre-soaked chickpeas. As we remember, it is advisable to leave it overnight.
4. Rinse, put in a blender and grind in mashed potatoes. Add water if necessary. Next, throw in coarsely chopped carrots and onions, chop everything.
5. Salt the resulting dough, add coriander and flour. We mix. The mass should not be thick.
6. Pour flour for breading into a flat plate. Roll the dough into small balls (the size of a walnut), gently roll them in flour.
7. Dip the falafel into the oil preheated in a deep fryer. Fry, stirring gently, until golden brown.
8. Place the chickpea balls on a paper towel.
9. Cut the cucumbers into slices and the tomatoes into medium slices.
10. Finely chop the onion.
11. Romain is thoroughly washed, dried and disassembled into separate leaves.
12. We spread thin pita bread on a dish, in the center of it we place cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. Leave the edges intact so you can wrap them up.
13. Next we put a salad leaf and three balls.
14. Pour sesame sauce over everything and wrap it gently, starting from the bottom.

Video: falafel with sauce in pita bread

In the oven

Ingredients:

• garlic - 7 g;
• parsley - 10 g;
• cilantro - 15 g;
• chickpeas - 240 g;
• salt - 2 tsp;
• ground coriander - 0.5 tsp;
• bulgur - 50 g;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• olive oil - 1 tbsp. l.;
• pea flour - 4.5 tbsp. l.

Oven-baked falafel tastes just as good

Cooking process:

1. Soak chickpeas overnight.

2. Pour bulugur with boiling water for 25 minutes.

   

   Bulgur is filled with boiling water

3. Grind the onions, garlic and herbs with a blender.

   

   Onions, garlic and herbs are chopped with a blender

4. We wash the chickpeas with water. Next, grind with a blender into small crumbs. You can also use a meat grinder.

   

   The same is done with chickpeas.

5. In a large bowl, mix all the falafel ingredients thoroughly until smooth. Then you can put it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

6. Roll chickpea dough into small dense balls. Put them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Put it back in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

   

   Balls made from dough are laid out on a baking sheet

7. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. We send falafel to it.
8. Open the oven after 15 minutes and grease each ball with a drop of olive oil. Thanks to it, the falafel will acquire a golden brown crust.

Finished falafel is oiled

In a multicooker

This recipe is suitable for losing weight. Falafel is cooked without oil and has a calorie content of only 140 kcal per 100 grams.

Ingredients:

• chickpeas - 150 g;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2-3 cloves;
• hops-suneli;
• marjoram;
• curry;
• zira;

• paprika.

  

  You can also cook falafel in a slow cooker. Such a dish will delight those who are losing weight

Cooking process:

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight.
2. Chop the onion and garlic finely.
3. Put chickpeas, onions, garlic, spices in a blender, salt everything.
4. Grind the ingredients into small crumbs.
5. Roll balls from the resulting dough.
6. Cover the multicooker bowl with foil.
7. Put the falafel in a prepared container.
8. Turn on the "Baking" mode and leave for an hour.

With the addition of carrots

Ingredients:

• chickpeas - 200 g.
• parsley - a bunch;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• flour for breading;

• salt, spices (to taste).

  

  Falafel with carrots is easy to prepare

Cooking process:

1. Soak chickpeas in water in the evening.

2. Drain the liquid, grind the beans with a blender until puree.

   

   Chickpeas are processed by a blender

3. We process the carrots on a coarse grater, finely chop the herbs and onions.
4. Mix everything with grated chickpeas. Salt, pepper, add spices.

5. We sculpt medium-sized balls from the resulting dough.

   

   Balls are formed from the finished dough

6. Breaded in flour (you can skip this step if you wish).

   

   Falafel can be breaded or not

7. We send the falafel to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Video: how to cook delicious falafel with carrots

Feedback and advice from the forums

Falafel - delicious balls that are loved all over the world. The basic recipe is simple, so you can give free rein to your imagination. Any housewife will find an option that will delight loved ones, diversifying the menu with falafel.