Falafel

 

A plate of crispy and crunchy falafel, with a soft interior, paired with a warm cup of Karak Chai, was exactly what I craved on a chilly, snowy day. I had never been a fan of falafel until I had the chance of trying some delicious falafel and Karak Chai in Dubai. There was a small takeout place next to our hotel in Dubai that served the most flavorful falafel and Karak Chai. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to recreate my own version of falafel.  After searching through so many recipes, I finally compiled a version palatable for our taste buds.

It’s surprisingly easy. Simply throw all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse them until well combined. Shape the mixture into falafel and either shallow fry or deep fry them to your liking. Fry them until they’re golden brown and crispy. And the best way to enjoy them is with a cup of Karak Chai. 

 Alternatively these can be baked or air fried at 400F for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.

Yields - 20 small falafels

Ingredients

1 cup - dry chickpeas

3 cloves - garlic

2 - green hot chilies

1 bunch - fresh cilantro

1/2 bunch - fresh parsley

1 tsp - coriander powder

1 tsp - chili powder

1 tsp - cumin powder

1/2 tsp - ground pepper 

1 tbsp - chickpea flour

salt to taste

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Oil to fry (I use Avocado oil)

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Optional

1 tsp - white sesame seeds

Directions:

• Wash the dry chickpeas and soak them in water for overnight or a minimum of 8 hours.
• Once the chickpeas is soaked well, discard the water and rinse well.  Drain the water well.
• Add all the ingredients except the sesame seeds to a food processor and pulse till a coarse mixture is formed.  Test it by shaping them into a ball.  Pulse till you get that texture that holds together.  Add the sesame seeds, if using at this point.
• Use a cookie dough scooper to scoop out the mix and form either falafel balls or discs.
• Add oil enough for shallow frying or deep frying into a pan.  Let the oil heat up well.  Fry the falafels in batches without crowding the pan.  Make sure to use medium heat to fry them and flip in between the sides to get the even golden brown color on both sides.
• Serve them hot with some Karak Chai.

Notes

• Make sure to use soaked chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas to get the best texture for the falafel.
• Adjust the spice powders to your liking.
• I like to shallow fry them in the pan instead of deep frying.  Alternatively you can bake or air fry at 400F for 20 minutes, flipping half way through or till the desired golden brown color is attained.
• If the mixture seems very loose add additional spoon of chickpeas flour and refrigerate for an hour before frying it.
• They can be stored in the fridge in a tight container for 3 days and can be reheated in the air fryer at 350F for 8-10 minutes till it gets crispy on outside.