So yeah, falafel (פלאפל) is awesome. I don’t know if its official, but its pretty much the Israeli national food. I recently made my own hummus, then shortly after my own pita, so I figured that I might as well finish it out and give falafel a try. Mine definitely has the distinct falafel flavor, but definitely a tinge different than the shuk falafel I usually buy. Keep in mind that a lot is to taste so by adding or removing things can change the flavor quite dramatically. Here is how I made mine.

1 Cup Dry Chickpeas
1 Small/Medium Onion – Chopped
4 Large Pieces of Garlic – Chopped
2 Tbsp Cilantro – Chopped
2 Tbsp Parsley – Chopped

5 Tbsp Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Hot Chili Flakes
1 Tsp Sweet Paprika

The night before you want to make falafel, soak chickpeas in cold water and let them sit until the next day. They will absorb quite a bit so make sure there is enough water to completely cover them and then some.

The next day
Drain the chickpeas. Chop onion, garlic, cilantro, and parsley. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cumin, chili, and paprika. Add everything into food processor and blend up. Not too much mind you, or you’ll end up with something like hummus. Everything should be mixed thoroughly and have a coarse consistency. Set the mixture in fridge for at least an hour.

After the flavors have had a chance to blend together and the flour absorbs the moisture, its time to cook! Heat several inches of canola oil in a pot. You’ll be dropping cold falafel mix into it, so the temperature needs to be hot enough to stay cooking heat, but not so hot that the outside will get dark and the inside will not finish cooking. So try one by itself to get it right.

To get the balls, I used a nice half round measuring table spoon and another spoon to round off the top and scoop it into the pot. One could even more easily use a falafel scoop. But alas, I was not able to find one on short notice… next time I go to the shuk for sure.

Spoon in 6 or so falafel at a time. If the oil doesn’t cover them completely you’ll need to make sure to turn them over.

Cook for a few minutes until golden. I used a metal spatula this time, but I’ll probably look to get a strainer scoop of some sort to pull them out of the oil.

Crunchy, golden, and delicious!!

Eat it with pita, hummus, Israeli salad, and some סחוג to turn it into a nice falafel meal :)