Crispy Herb Falafel from Dried Chickpeas

Spike came in with three cutting boards under his arm, as usual. “Falafel day,” he said. “Did you soak the chickpeas?” Gerzsi had. He had covered them with water and a little baking soda the night before, then got out of bed twice to check on them.

Spike picked the cilantro and mint leaves off their stems, one board for each herb. Gerzsi tipped everything into the food processor and pulsed. And pulsed. And pulsed. “Stop,” said Spike. “Coarse like sand, not smooth like paste.” Gerzsi stopped just in time.

The mix went into the fridge for an hour. Then Gerzsi rolled sixteen balls, each about the size of a golf ball. Spike looked over every one and put two back in the bowl for being too big.

The first batch came out of the oil golden and crackly. Clyde’s head was already through the window. He had a little sign around his neck that said FALAFEL, and there was a line of customers on the path behind him. “I sold twelve,” he said. “We only made sixteen,” said Gerzsi. Clyde looked at the line. Gerzsi looked at the empty bowl. Spike went to soak more chickpeas.

Why this one works

The chickpeas are soaked but not cooked. Raw, soaked chickpeas hold together on their own when they fry, so the mix needs no flour or egg and the inside stays light and green with herbs. An hour in the fridge firms the mix so the balls keep their shape, and baking powder stirred in at the end makes them a little puffier in the hot oil.

Crispy Herb Falafel from Dried Chickpeas

• Servings: 4 (16 falafel)
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Time: 1 hour 25 minutes, plus soaking overnight
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Soaked chickpeas, cilantro, mint and garlic pulsed together, chilled, shaped and fried until crisp and golden.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (about 200 g) dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (about 20 g) fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup (about 10 g) fresh mint leaves
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Oil for deep-frying

Directions

1. The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of cold water, because they will about double in size. Stir in the baking soda and leave the bowl on the counter overnight. In the morning, drain the chickpeas, rinse them and dry them well with a kitchen towel.
2. Put the cilantro and mint in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas, garlic, salt, pepper if you like, coriander and chili powder. Pulse and scrape down the sides a few times until the mix looks like coarse crumbs and holds together when you squeeze a little in your hand. Do not blend it into a smooth paste.
3. Cover the bowl and chill the mix for at least 1 hour.
4. Stir in the sesame seeds and baking powder. Shape the mix into 16 balls about 2 inches (5 cm) across. A cookie scoop keeps them the same size.
5. Heat 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 375°F (190°C). Fry a few balls at a time, turning them now and then, until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes. Lift them out with a spider onto paper towels or a rack. Let the oil come back to 375°F (190°C) before the next batch.

Use dried chickpeas, not canned. Canned chickpeas are already cooked and too wet, and the balls fall apart in the oil. Fry one test ball first. If it breaks up, chill the mix a little longer or pulse it a few more times. Serve the falafel hot in warm pita with tahini sauce, sliced tomato, cucumber and pickles. Hot oil is a grown-up job. Keep children and pets well back from the pot.

🛒 Worth buying for this recipe

• Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor. America’s Test Kitchen’s top-rated food processor. It chops the herbs and chickpeas to coarse crumbs in a few pulses without turning them to paste. Check price. See it on Amazon
• Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 7 qt enameled cast iron casserole. The Best Buy in America’s Test Kitchen’s Dutch oven test. A heavy pot holds the oil temperature steady while you fry in batches. Check price. See it on Amazon
• ThermoPro TP16 probe thermometer. The Best Buy in America’s Test Kitchen’s leave-in thermometer test. Clip the probe in the oil and you know when it is back at 375°F. Check price. See it on Amazon
• OXO Good Grips Scoop and Strain Skimmer. The winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s spider skimmer test. It lifts four or five falafel out of the oil at once. Check price. See it on Amazon
• Checkered Chef Cooling Rack. The winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s wire rack test. Falafel drained on a rack stay crisp on the bottom. Check price. See it on Amazon
• Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet. The winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s rimmed baking sheet test. Set the rack inside it to catch the drips. Check price. See it on Amazon
• OXO Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop. The winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s portion scoop test. Every ball comes out the same size, so they all cook in the same time. About $21 at the time of their review. See it on Amazon
• OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner. The winner of America’s Test Kitchen’s salad spinner test. Dry herbs chop cleanly and don’t make the mix wet. About $33 at the time of their review. See it on Amazon

How Chef Tamás makes it

Chef Tamás adds onion or scallions and ground cumin to the mix.

At his restaurant, falafel shows up on the daily menu at most.

Tools we use

• A food processor to grind the chickpeas. See the ATK pick on Amazon
• A falafel scoop or portion scoop to shape them. See the ATK pick on Amazon
• A heavy pot or a deep fryer. See the ATK pick on Amazon
• A thermometer for the oil. See the ATK pick on Amazon

Tamás didn’t name brands for this one. The linked models are the testers’ picks for the same jobs.

Chef Tamás’s tricks

• Use only dried chickpeas that you soak yourself, never canned.
• Pat them dry after soaking.
• Grind them coarse, not to a paste.
• Let the mix rest in the fridge.
• Stir in the baking powder right before frying.
• Fry one test ball first. In his words: “You always have to rehearse, like at the theater. It never hurts.”
• The mistakes he sees most: canned chickpeas, falafel that falls apart in the oil, oil that is too cold so they soak it up, and balls so big the middle stays raw.
• His Hungarian twist: serve them with lecsó (a Hungarian pepper and tomato stew) or a paprika sauce, or as a side next to meat.

Adapted from Falafel on Taste of Home. Cooked our way at the inn.

Sources

• Taste of Home: Falafel
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best food processors
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best Dutch ovens
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best leave-in thermometers
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best spider skimmers
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best wire racks
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best rimmed baking sheets
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best portion scoops
• America’s Test Kitchen: The best salad spinners
• NBC Select: The best puzzles for adults