Making falafel from scratch. If you ask any lebanese living abroad about falafel, i m sure they will tell you, we miss the real versions of making it. In this recipe Marc will teach you the best falafel you’ve ever tasted.

WHAT ARE FALAFEL?

Falafel are delicious balls of chickpea and herb goodness that you find in Middle Eastern cooking but honestly i have always preferred the lebanese way. You can find falafel in any of lebanese street corners. (The best authentic street food). Falafel are vegan and vegetarian. They are served with a Tahini sauce named Tarator.

METHOD OF COOKING 

Step 1

To start, place the Chick peas into a large container and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water. Soak them overnight. The next day they will double in size as they soak. Drain and rinse the chick peas and then Pour them into a food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, chickpea flour, salt, ground and cumin. 

Step 2

Pulse all ingredients together until a rough sort of paste is formed. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till all the mixture is combined but don’t over process, you don’t want it turning into hummus! Place a bit of water if it’s rough. Just a little bit! Add the baking soda to the mixture to make them more crispy  only before frying them.

Step 3

Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat. The ideal temperature to fry falafel when you drop a little bit of mixture into the oil and it floats up immediately. If the mixture takes about 2 seconds to float up, then the oil is ready for frying. Usually the best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry the oil should be at 360 F.

Step 4

Before placing the falafel into the scoop soak it before use, it will prevent the mixture to stick. Form falafel mixture into round balls using a hands or a falafel scoop.  I usually use about 2 tbsp of mixture per falafel. You can make them smaller or larger depending on your personal preference. Deep fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides. Let them drain on paper towels. Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a tahini sauce named Tartor.

HOW TO MAKE TAHINI SAUCE

In a medium bowl, combine the mashed garlic, lemon juice, water and salt. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, to give the garlic time to infuse the lemon juice with flavor. Whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended.If desired, thin consistency add additional water for a more drizzly sauce. Adjust if necessary if you’d like more tangy, add more lemon, or pinch of salt. Your Tarator sauce is ready to serve!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Please let me know how Making falafel from scratch turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #marcabed.