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This Falafel recipe is easy, gluten-free, and naturally vegan! It’s packed with fresh herbs and flavor and you can prepare it in the oven, on the stovetop, or with an air fryer!
I had never made traditional Falafel before my recent trip toIsrael, but once I had a bite of that crispy goodness, Iknew I had to re-create it for the blog.
I must say, I am pretty dang proud of this recipe! After doing my own taste-testing abroad plus some of my own internet research, I’ve learned a few things about Falafel:
It should be made with dried andsoaked chickpeas, not canned. Otherwise, it will be too mushy.
The best Falafel should be green on the inside. (This is somewhat up for debate, but I agree with this sentiment).
Traditional Falafel is deep-fried, which somehow absorbsless oil than pan frying?!
Not sure how I feel about that last one, but apparently it’s the truth! Either way, I asked you all on Instagram how you would like to prepare yourFalafel, and the majority of you voted for a Baked Recipe. I did provide several different options in the recipe instructions though, so you can do whatever you’d decide! My favorite version of preparation was with my Air Fryer. It made the mostgolden-brown andcrispy Falafel exterior while keeping aflavorful greenandfluffy interior. WIN!
Regardless of how you prepare it, I do hope you enjoy this recipe. One thing that I love about Middle Eastern cuisine is how recipe ingredients are so simple (and affordable!), but everything is stillpacked with flavor. And this Falafel Recipe is certainly no exception to that rule!
A Few Final Thoughts:
Traditional Falafel is usually made with flour, to help the mixture bind together. However, I wanted to keep things Gluten-Free, so I used Chickpea Flour instead and it worked out perfectly!
This recipe does make quite alot of Falafel. If you’re putting in the effort to make it, I think it’s worth it to go big or go home. Ha. It does keep well in the fridge, but you can also cut the recipe in half.
You can serve this Falafel however you’d like! I enjoy it dipped in either homemadeHummus or a creamy Tahini Sauce, but you can also put it in wraps, on top of salads, etc.
If you’re looking for more Middle-Eastern Inspired recipes, you’ll also love this Quinoa Tabbouleh and this Fattoush Salad with Creamy Sumac Dressing!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it onFacebook orInstagram, don’t forget to tag me@FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
This Falafel recipe is easy, gluten-free, and naturally vegan! It’s packed with fresh herbs and flavor and you can prepare it in the oven, on the stovetop, or with an air fryer!
Preheat your oven to 400F, if you are using it. Place the Soaked Chickpeas, roughly chopped Onion, and Garlic into a large Food Processor. Process until the mixture is finely chopped, but not mush.
Next, add in the fresh Herbs, dried Spices, and Lemon Juice. Process again until well incorporated — the mixture should turn a bright green color.
Finally, add the Chickpea Flour and Tahini to the Food Processor, and pulse until well combined.
Transfer the Falafel mixture to a large bowl, and use your hands to form round balls using ~2 tbsp of the mixture.
To bake…
In the Oven:Bake at 400F for 18 minutes, flip, then bake for another 15-18 minutes.
In the Air Fryer: (recommended)Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. For extra crispy Falafel, spray the balls with some oil or a nonstick cooking spray before baking.
On the Stovetop:add 1 tbsp of heat-safe oil to the pan for every 5 Falafel balls. Pan-fry over medium heat, rotating the balls every 2 or so minutes, to brown all sides. This process took about 20 minutes for me.
Serve as desired. The Falafel will dry out slightly in the fridge, but will keep well in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Notes
To soak your Chickpeas, simply place them in a large bowl and cover them with water for 12-24 hours at room temperature. Keep in mind that they will expand with time, so make sure you add enough water!
I have not tested this recipe with any other regular or GF flours, but I imagine you could substitute any grain-based flour for the Chickpea Flour successfully.
Want to save this Falafel Recipe for later? Pin the recipe to your Pinterest boards:
Turns out that dried chickpeas are essential to good falafel. See, canned chickpeas have already been cooked. Starch molecules within them have already burst and released their sticky contents, much of which get washed away in the cooking liquid, leaving the remaining chickpeas with very little clinging power.
The ingredients are so simple, and the flavors are complex and wonderful. Soaked chickpeas are blended with onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, cardamom, coriander, and sea salt. A little gluten-free oat flour keeps these gluten free while also helping them bind/form into a dough.
Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they should bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour or chickpea flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix.
Your average store bought and restaurant falafel has both chickpea wheat flour in it, which makes it not gluten-free. The best bet is to make your own gluten-free falafel, and this recipe from Joy Food Sunshine fits the bill nicely.
Any white bean will do, including cannellini beans (white kidney beans), lima beans (butter beans), great northern beans, and navy beans. While not typically considered white beans, black-eyed peas also make an excellent substitute for chickpeas.
Chickpeas are made up of oligosaccharides. These sugars can also be found in foods like rye, onions, and garlic. This means that chickpeas can easily pass through the mouth, stomach, and small intestines without breaking down. Upon arrival in the large intestines, they ferment, causing you a lot of discomfort.
To substitute, you can use almond flour for chickpea flour in a 1:1 ratio. Almond flour tends to be more moist, so you might need to adjust the liquid content in your recipe slightly.
Tahini, which is a paste made from ground sesame seeds, is typically gluten-free. Sesame seeds themselves do not contain gluten, so pure tahini made solely from sesame seeds and oil should not contain any gluten.
There are three types of falafel--Traditional falafel, baked falafel and lemon falafel. “Where the traditional falafel is the basic fried falafel comprising a mix of chickpeas, onions, garlic, herbs and spices, baked falafels are made using fresh herbs in the chickpea mixture,” says Chef Sati from Ophelia.
If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs. The falafel mixture after prepared can be shaped by hand or with a tool called an alb falafel (falafel mold).
Baking soda and powder: Baking soda breaks down and softens the chickpeas as they soak. Baking powder, mixed in just before baking, makes the falafel light and airy. Fresh herbs: The tender leaves of parsley, dill, and cilantro bring fresh, herbal flavor and color.
Stay away from all products with barley, rye, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye), farina, graham flour, semolina, and any other kind of flour. This includes self-rising and durum not labeled gluten-free. Be careful with corn and rice products.
If you have coeliac disease, you can eat the following foods, which naturally do not contain gluten: most dairy products, such as cheese, butter and milk. fruits and vegetables. meat and fish (although not breaded or battered)
In its natural form, both peanuts and peanut butter are gluten-free. Many store-bought brands of peanut butter are also gluten-free, with gluten-containing peanut butter tending to be the exception rather than the rule.
Great news! Both canned and dried varieties of chickpeas are nutritious! When purchasing canned varieties, look for those labeled "no salt added" or "low in sodium." Overall, beans are budget-friendly, but dried can often be less expensive and also more flavorful than canned.
You can eat chickpeas with the skin on, but they're better without. When making hummus, removing the skins will make your hummus much creamier and rich. When it comes to roasting chickpeas, I find removing the skins gives the chickpeas more flavor.
Can you make chickpea flour with canned chickpeas? You can. But you'll need to dehydrate them before making flour. You can do this by drying them out in the oven or using a dehydrator.
Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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