Foolproof Felafel Recipe

[lindseylcw]

Please help - every time I make these, and I have tried many recipes, they fall apart when I put them into the hot oil

Any ideas and recipes would be so gratefully received.

[Molly53]

lindseylcw wrote:
Please help - every time I make these, and I have tried many recipes, they fall apart when I put them into the hot oil

Any ideas and recipes would be so gratefully received.

Click on Falafel recipe #101525 and see if it won't work for you. It's been tried and very highly rated...you might want to read the rater's comments for tips, also. If you give it a try, recipe reviews are very much appreciated.

[ketchupqueen]

You need to chill the dough well before you fry it. My mom says at least 2 hours. I've found I can get away with 1, but they do fall apart a little more.

[Cathy Z from Kauai]

I used to have the same problem every time I made Falafel (sorry- I am not correcting your spelling, just using what is familiar to me) until a friend told me to use UNCOOKED garbanzos (chick peas) that were soaked, not canned garbanzos. Try this and see if if works for you in your recipe. The reasoning is this: if you use drained, canned garbanzos they are already cooked and have quite a large moisture content so, mixed with the other ingredients, the result falls apart when cooked. If you soak dried garbanzos, drain and grind them, they have a low moisture content and "expand" when mixed with the other Falafel ingredients and it allows the patties or balls to hold together better.

[ketchupqueen]

(Does anyone else find it strange that that recipe linked to makes "four patties"? Falafel should be little!)

Here's my mom's recipe, as I posted it on another forum:

Mom's falafel recipe-- not too spiced up, very kid friendly. Feel free to add more spices if you like, but it's a nice flavor the way it is, too.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked whole garbanzos (aka chickpeas or gram)-- equivalent to two or three cans, depending on size OR soak 2 cups dry garbanzos, boil 1 1/2 hours, and drain-- they should "puff up" to about 4 cups cooked
3 cloves garlic, crushed in a press (or as finely minced as you can get them)
1/2 cup minced celery stalk
1/2 cup minced scallions or green onions (the white part of the green onions, that is-- I sometimes sub regular onions)
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp. tahini (aka tahina)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric (which WILL turn everything yellow, so don't use any stainable cookware while making this)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (can sub 1/2 tsp. dark chili powder)
1 1/2 tsp. table salt
3 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs OR unsifted all-purpose flour
Oil for frying

Mash the chickpeas in a bowl. (Yes, you can also puree them in the blender or food processor, but I recommend reserving at least a little bit to mash in by hand because I think it gives a nice texture.)
Add other ingredients and combine well.
Cover and chill for two hours.
Heat oil in a large pot, or an electric deep fryer. Remember not to fill it to the top, the oil needs room to expand, plus you're going to be putting stuff in it! Hot oil all over you is NOT FUN. Trust me, I speak from experience!
Form into small balls-- you can get a falafel press for this, or a melon baller works really well, or just use two spoons-- and drop VERY CAREFULLY into hot oil. (Make the kids stand BACK in case of splashing and sputtering. Seriously.) Fry until golden brown, turning partway through to make sure they cook evenly.
Remove from oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and set to drain on paper towels layered on a plate. Remember to lay them down in a single layer; when the plate is full, you can put two more paper towels on and layer more on top.
Serve warm with pita halves and all the fixins! (Suggestions: diced cucumber, diced or cherry tomatoes if you're into that-- I'm not, sliced lettuce-- remember that dark green lettuces have more nutrition than iceberg , yogurt, hummus, tahini with some lemon juice to cut the tang and give it some zip. If your kids are picky eaters, I'll tell you a secret-- my parents used to mix ketchup and mayo and give it to us for a special sauce on our falafel. But don't tell real Middle Eastern people that, they get horrified! It's good, though. And it provides a link with more familiar food for less adventurous eaters-- not that we weren't adventurous in my family, we were just kids and liked ketchup and mayo.)

[evelyn/athens]

Cathy Z gives good advice. My brother-in-law is Syrian and he taught me how to make falafel. You always start out with soaked, uncooked beans. BTW, if you don't want to fry up the entire mixture, it freezes just fine. The fried falafel also freeze well, but I'd rather freeze up the dough and fry them up 'fresh'.

Falafel With Taratoor Sauce

[BigFatMomma]

I always stick mine under the broiler after I coat them with a thin layer of olive oil...Less handling before cooking.