Super Simple Falafels – a Meatless Monday Meal Idea
Growing up in Kuwait, Falafels were almost a once-in-a week meal for us. My Dad would pick up about a dozen of them – fresh out from the fryer, on his way home from work. They would always be accompanied by a large tub of Hummus, warm soft Pitas and a generous portion of pickled vegetables – usually carrots, cucumbers, turnips and chilli peppers.
The aroma of these fried delicious balls of goodness and oven fresh baked bread as soon as he walked in through the door, always had us rushing to wash our hands and set the dinner table. How excited we always were to dig right in! As much as I enjoyed eating Falafels on a regular basis throughout my early years, it was always something I took for granted. You know how some things never seem at all special until you can’t have them anymore?
It wasn’t until I left Kuwait for college that I realized how much I missed them. The international food scene had just started to pave its way into India in the 90’s, but Falafels in Bangalore – the city I moved to for my studies, were yet to be introduced. A few years later when I changed base to Canada, Middle Eastern cuisine had just started to become mainstream.
Shawarma joints were popping up in busy neighbourhoods and with them I got to have Falafels again. Except, they were nothing like the ones I was used to! The Falafels served here were too dense, sometimes fried until they were hard and dry – nowhere even close to the light airy crispness that is easily found at any Shawarma place in Kuwait. Now, over two decades later, Arabic food has come a long way in the GTA and you can now find some of the best tasting dishes at many restaurants quite easily. But I digress.
Once you try this recipe, you will understand why I choose to make it at home instead of ordering take-out. For one, it’s way cheaper to make it yourself – and we all know that cutting food costs these days while still trying to eat well is everyone’s top priority. And secondly, you will laugh at how easy this recipe actually is. Yes, it requires a bit of prep work in advance and you do have to deep fry them. But let me tell you this – I promise you will never buy readymade Falafels again once you’ve made your own!
Before I move on to the recipe, let me say this clearly because I know some of you will ask: Yes, you may be able to do these in the air fryer. But please don’t. They just won’t taste the way they should. Just fry them the way they need to be fried and you won’t regret it. As a bonus, you can always make a big batch and freeze them for later. Those can then be warmed and crisped in the air fryer. And yes, this recipe is both Vegan and Gluten-free. And delicious. Did I mention that already?
Chickpea Falafels
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked in hot water for at least two hours, or overnight
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- salt to taste
- light cooking oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas, give it a good rinse and add it into a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients – except the oil.
- Run the food processor in a pulse mode to finely grind all the ingredients together. Do not add any water. The mixture will come together eventually.
- Form golf-sized balls and set aside.
- Heat oil in a deep pan for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, add in the falafel balls a few at a time without crowding the pan.
- Fry the falafels in batches for about 3-5 minutes, until they are golden brown and crisp.
- Serve warm with a side of Pita and a generous helping of Hummus.
If you liked this Chickpea Falafel recipe, I’m sure you will love my Potato (Aloo) Bonda and my Palak (Spinach) Pakoras as well.
Tried this recipe? Leave a Comment and let me know, also Rate it by clicking the number of stars on the recipe card. Want to share your version with me? Tag me on Instagram @hookedonheat
