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Fresh Falafel, Pita, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, and More!
Recipe
1 hr 5 min

Falafel

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Falafel
Author: Steve Dunn

Recipe By Steve Dunn

Published on August 8, 2024

Loading up the chickpea batter with fresh herbs and aromatics is what makes falafel the world's greatest fritters. We set out to make falafel that were also easy to handle and cook.

Time

1 hr 5 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 24 falafel)

Why This Recipe Works

The best falafel are moist, tender, packed with flavorful seasonings such as onion and herbs, and sturdy enough to form and fry. We started by soaking dried chickpeas overnight to soften them slightly before grinding them into coarse bits along with onion, herbs, garlic, and spices. Instead of binding the dough with uncooked flour, which yields dry, bready fritters, we mixed in a cooked flour paste that added moisture without making the dough too fragile to form and fry. Cooking the fritters at a relatively low 325 degrees allowed their particularly moist interiors to fully cook by the time their exteriors were brown and crisp.

Ingredients

Falafel

8 ounces dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
¾ cup fresh parsley leaves
½ onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

Tahini Sauce

⅓ cup tahini
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
¼ cup water
Salt

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Place chickpeas in large container and cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain well.
  2. Process cilantro, parsley, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, and cayenne in food processor for 5 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Continue to process until mixture resembles pesto, about 5 seconds longer. Add chickpeas and pulse 6 times. Scrape down sides of bowl. Continue to pulse until chickpeas are coarsely chopped and resemble sesame seeds, about 6 more pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.
  3. Whisk flour and ⅓ cup water in bowl until no lumps remain. Microwave, whisking every 10 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency that forms mound when dropped from end of whisk into bowl, 40 to 80 seconds. Stir baking powder into flour paste.
  4. Add flour paste to chickpea mixture and, using rubber spatula, mix until fully incorporated. Divide mixture into 24 pieces and gently roll into golf ball–size spheres, transferring spheres to parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet once formed. (Formed falafel can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
  5. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 325 degrees. Add half of falafel and fry, stirring occasionally, until deep brown, about 5 minutes. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature of 325 degrees. Using slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer falafel to paper towel–lined baking sheet. Return oil to 325 degrees and repeat with remaining falafel. Serve immediately with tahini sauce.

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Pita Bread
Recipe2 hr

Pita Bread

Falafel

Recipe By Steve Dunn

Published on August 8, 2024

Time

1 hr 5 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 24 falafel)

Falafel

Ingredients

Falafel

8 ounces dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems¾ cup fresh parsley leaves½ onion, chopped fine2 garlic cloves, minced1½ teaspoons ground coriander1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper¼ cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

Tahini Sauce

⅓ cup tahini⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)¼ cup waterSalt

Instructions

  1. Place chickpeas in large container and cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain well.
  2. Process cilantro, parsley, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, and cayenne in food processor for 5 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Continue to process until mixture resembles pesto, about 5 seconds longer. Add chickpeas and pulse 6 times. Scrape down sides of bowl. Continue to pulse until chickpeas are coarsely chopped and resemble sesame seeds, about 6 more pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.
  3. Whisk flour and ⅓ cup water in bowl until no lumps remain. Microwave, whisking every 10 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency that forms mound when dropped from end of whisk into bowl, 40 to 80 seconds. Stir baking powder into flour paste.
  4. Add flour paste to chickpea mixture and, using rubber spatula, mix until fully incorporated. Divide mixture into 24 pieces and gently roll into golf ball–size spheres, transferring spheres to parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet once formed. (Formed falafel can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
  5. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 325 degrees. Add half of falafel and fry, stirring occasionally, until deep brown, about 5 minutes. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature of 325 degrees. Using slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer falafel to paper towel–lined baking sheet. Return oil to 325 degrees and repeat with remaining falafel. Serve immediately with tahini sauce.
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