Homemade Falafel — from Dried Chickpeas, Baked in the Oven
Yvonne Ammann VeganSoak dried chickpeas overnight — do not cook them —, blitz roughly with onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin and salt, chill 30 minutes, shape into balls, brush with oil and bake at 220 °C for 25 minutes. Raw soaked chickpeas hold together; cooked tinned ones fall apart.
Falafel at home almost always fail at the same point: they fall apart in the pan. The reason is the tin. Cooked chickpeas are too soft and too wet — real falafel are made from raw, merely soaked chickpeas, and those hold together by themselves. A bag of dried chickpeas, a night in water, and the rest is herbs and spices. In the oven instead of the fryer, and the kitchen does not smell of oil.
Ingredients
- 250 g Dried chickpeas (dried, soaked overnight)
- 1 piece Onion
- 3 pieces Garlic cloves
- 1 bunch Parsley
- ½ bunch Coriander
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander (ground)
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
To serve
- 4 pieces Pita breads
- 200 g Tzatziki
- 2 pieces Tomatoes
Method
- 1
Soak (the day before)
Soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of cold water for at least 12 hours. They double in size. Drain well — do not cook.
- 2
Blitz
Blitz the chickpeas with the roughly chopped onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, spices and salt in a food processor or with a stick blender until it looks like coarse sand — not purée. Scrape down the sides in between.
- 3
Bind and chill
Stir in the baking powder and flour. The mixture should press into a ball by hand. Cover and chill 30 minutes — cold, it holds better.
- 4
Shape and bake
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. With wet hands shape 20 balls or flat patties and set on a lined tray. Brush all over with olive oil. Bake 25 minutes, turning after 15, until golden and crisp.
- 5
Serve
Warm the pitas briefly in the oven, cut open, fill with tzatziki, tomatoes, salad and 4 to 5 falafel each.
Tips
- In a pan: 1 cm of oil over medium heat, falafel 3 minutes a side until dark brown. Crisper than from the oven, more oil, more smell. Both work.
- The raw mixture keeps two days in the fridge and freezes well as shaped balls. Straight from frozen into the oven, 30 minutes.
- Plenty of parsley and coriander — the inside should be green. That is the difference between Lebanese falafel and the brown ball from the chiller aisle.
What can I substitute?
The Egyptian version — hulled, soaked the same way. Half and half is the Lebanese one.
For anyone who dislikes coriander. The falafel stay green and herby.
Tahini sauce is the Middle Eastern original. Hummus makes the pita even more filling.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my falafel fall apart?
Because they are made from cooked or tinned chickpeas. Those are too soft and too wet and do not bind. Only soaked raw chickpeas hold — their starch is still intact. If tins are all you have: dry well, add 3 tbsp flour and an egg, and chill the mixture an hour. It works, but not as well.
Are raw chickpeas in falafel a problem?
No — they cook through when baked or fried. Soaked chickpeas are finely ground in the mixture and fully cooked in 25 minutes at 220 °C. This is how falafel have been made for centuries.
Where do I get dried chickpeas?
At Migros and Coop on the pulses shelf, usually next to the lentils, and in any Turkish or Arab shop for half the price. 500 g costs about 2 CHF and makes two batches.
How much does homemade falafel cost?
About 1.50 CHF per person for falafel and pita, about 2.50 CHF with tzatziki and vegetables. The falafel wrap from a stand costs 12 CHF.
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