Falafel is one of the Levant’s best-loved street foods: crisp, herb-filled chickpea fritters traditionally tucked into pita with pickles, salad, and tahini.
Soaking dried chickpeas gives the falafel its tender, textured center, while a brief chill and hot oil create a deeply browned shell without making the middle heavy.
Keep the mixture slightly coarse and chill it before shaping; a smooth or warm mixture can make falafel dense or fragile.
Serving Suggestions
Serve in warm pita with tahini, chopped tomato and cucumber, parsley, pickled turnips, and a squeeze of lemon.
Recipe Notes
The shaped falafel mixture can be refrigerated for one day or frozen on a tray before frying. Fry in batches so the oil stays hot.
Lebanese Falafel with Tahini
Crisp, herb-filled chickpea falafel served with creamy tahini, vegetables, pickles, and warm pita.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large bowl
- Deep skillet or Dutch oven
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
Falafel
- 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas soaked 8 hours and drained
- 1 large yellow onion quartered
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 cup fresh parsley packed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro packed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups neutral oil for frying
Tahini Sauce
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water plus more as needed
- 1 clove garlic grated
Instructions
Make the Falafel:
- Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water for 8 hours, then drain and dry them well.
- Pulse the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, baking powder, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor until coarse and crumbly.
- Chill the mixture for 30 minutes, then shape it into small balls or thick patties.
- Heat the oil to 175°C / 350°F and fry the falafel in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp.
Make the Sauce and Serve:
- Whisk tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and water until smooth and pourable, adding a little more water if needed.
- Drain the falafel on a rack or paper towels and serve hot with tahini, pita, salad, and pickles.
Notes
- Use dried chickpeas rather than canned for the best texture.
- For a lighter option, bake shaped falafel at 220°C / 425°F until browned, turning once.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 16gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 780mgFiber: 12gSugar: 7g