Falafel

From the kitchen of Carly

Crispy chickpea patties with cumin, coriander, and parsley. Pan-fried until golden, stuffed into pita with garlic yogurt and pickles. Cheap, fast, vegetarian, and the kind of dinner that pleases everyone at the table. Don't over-mash. A coarse texture with visible chickpea bits is the difference between falafel and chickpea pancakes.

Falafel
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 tbspsunflower or vegetable oil (divided)
  • 1yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clovegarlic, crushed
  • 400 g (1 can)chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tspground cumin
  • 1 tspground coriander
  • 1 small handfulfresh parsley, chopped
  • 1large egg, beaten
  • 1 to tastekosher salt and black pepper
  • 4warm pita pockets, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over low heat.

  2. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned.

  3. Tip the cooked onion mixture into a large bowl with the drained chickpeas, cumin, and coriander.

  4. Mash everything together with a fork or potato masher until the chickpeas are completely broken down. The texture should be coarse, not smooth; a few intact bits give the falafel some bite.

  5. Stir in the chopped parsley and season generously with salt and pepper.

  6. Add the beaten egg and squish the mixture together with your hands until uniform.

  7. Divide into 6 equal balls. Flatten each into a 1-inch-thick patty.

  8. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the same pan over medium heat.

  9. Cook the falafels 3 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and firm to the touch. Don't crowd the pan; work in two batches if needed.

  10. Serve hot in warm pita pockets with garlic yogurt, pickled vegetables, and a heap of salad. Or eat cold the next day; they're great in a lunchbox.

Substitutions
  • egg to 1 tbsp tahini + 1 tbsp water. Vegan version. Tahini binds the patties and adds a subtle nutty note.
  • canned chickpeas to 200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight then drained (uncooked). More authentic texture but requires planning. Skip the cooking-in-the-pan step; the soaked chickpeas mash and fry as is.
  • fresh parsley to fresh cilantro or mint. Cilantro is more traditional Middle Eastern. Mint takes it Greek-leaning.

Pairs well with: Garlic yogurt sauce or tahini drizzle, Sliced cucumber, tomato, and red onion in lemon dressing, Pickled turnips or olives on the side

Adapted from TheMealDB.