Crisp, herb-packed falafel made from soaked chickpeas with a lemony tahini sauce, perfect for batch cooking and freezing.
Ingredients
Falafel
300 g dried chickpeas
3000 ml cold water (for soaking)
150 g yellow onion
20 g garlic
30 g fresh parsley
30 g fresh cilantro
10 g fresh dill
8 g ground cumin
6 g ground coriander
12 g fine sea salt
2 g ground black pepper
1 g ground cayenne pepper
2 g lemon zest
6 g baking powder
20 g chickpea flour (optional)
1000 ml neutral frying oil
2 g fine sea salt (for finishing)
Tahini Sauce
150 g tahini
60 ml lemon juice
5 g garlic, finely grated
4 g fine sea salt
1 g ground cumin
100 ml cold water
10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Steps
Rinse chickpeas.
Transfer chickpeas to a large bowl.
Pour 3000 ml cold water over chickpeas.
Soak chickpeas for 12 hours at room temperature.
Drain chickpeas.
Rinse chickpeas.
Pat chickpeas completely dry.
Peel onion.
Cut onion into large chunks.
Peel garlic.
Add chickpeas to a food processor.
Add onion to the food processor.
Add garlic to the food processor.
Add parsley to the food processor.
Add cilantro to the food processor.
Add dill to the food processor.
Pulse until the mixture is a coarse, even crumble.
Scrape down the bowl.
Add ground cumin to the processor.
Add ground coriander to the processor.
Add 12 g fine sea salt to the processor.
Add ground black pepper to the processor.
Add ground cayenne pepper to the processor.
Add lemon zest to the processor.
Add baking powder to the processor.
Pulse until the mixture forms fine, fluffy crumbs that hold when pressed.
Squeeze 30 g of mixture in your palm to check cohesion.
Add chickpea flour if the mixture crumbles apart.
Pulse 3 to 4 times to incorporate the flour.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Cover the bowl.
Chill the mixture for 30 minutes.
Scoop 40 g portions of the mixture.
Shape each portion into a ball.
Set the balls on a parchment-lined tray.
Refrigerate the falafel balls for 20 minutes.
Add tahini to a mixing bowl.
Add lemon juice to the bowl.
Add grated garlic to the bowl.
Add 4 g fine sea salt to the bowl.
Add ground cumin to the bowl.
Whisk until thick and pasty.
Add 80 ml cold water.
Whisk until smooth and pourable.
Add up to 20 ml more cold water if a thinner sauce is desired.
Whisk until just pourable.
Stir in chopped parsley.
Pour frying oil into a deep, heavy pot.
Heat oil to 180°C.
Fry 6 falafel at a time for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden.
Turn falafel halfway through frying.
Lift falafel from the oil with a slotted spoon.
Drain falafel on a rack set over a tray.
Sprinkle hot falafel with a pinch of salt.
Return oil to 180°C between batches.
Repeat frying with remaining falafel.
Serve falafel with tahini sauce.
Notes
Use dried chickpeas only; canned chickpeas make falafel that fall apart.
Texture cues: The processed mixture should resemble damp couscous and press together without oozing. If too wet, chill longer or add 10–20 g chickpea flour. If too dry, pulse in 10 ml cold water.
Oil management: Keep oil between 175–185°C for best crust and minimal oil absorption. Avoid overcrowding to prevent temperature drop.
Baking or air-frying (meal prep alternative):
Bake: Brush patties with 20 ml oil, bake at 220°C on a preheated sheet for 12 minutes per side.
Air-fry: Spray patties lightly with oil, air-fry at 200°C for 10–12 minutes, turning once.
Make-ahead and freezing:
Refrigerate the uncooked mixture for up to 24 hours.
Freeze raw shaped falafel on a tray until firm, then bag; fry from frozen at 175–180°C for 4–5 minutes or bake/air-fry as above with 2–4 extra minutes.
Cool cooked falafel completely, then refrigerate 4 days or freeze 2 months; reheat at 200°C for 10–12 minutes.
Store tahini sauce refrigerated for 5 days; thin with cold water before serving.
Serving ideas: Pack with pita or bowls, add tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, and herbs. Excellent with hummus and tabbouleh.
Cross-references: Basic Hummus, Tabbouleh, Quick Pickled Red Onions.
Cooksmith