The Most Delicious Falafel You’ll Ever Taste
For many of us, the chickpea has become a household staple that has climbed the ranks to the echelon of worship. It’s simple, multipurpose and packed with nutritional benefits – what more do you need? You need flavor. And a plain chickpea is sadly the opposite of flavorful. However, it’s the perfect base for my favorite lunchtime meal, a falafel salad.
Now you might be thinking to yourself, “Falafel is gross. It’s dry. It’s crunchy. It lacks the punch of deliciousness”. You are right! Most falafel is gross…and dry…and crunchy..and lacks a flavor profile that will knock your socks off. But not this falafel. This falafel is a home run in a bite and it keeps me coming back again and again.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the most delicious falafel you’ll ever taste… now go and get to cooking!
- 3 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
- Himalayan salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon marash chili flakes
- ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup finely chopped italian parsley (you can add some dill if you dig that flavor)
- ¼ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- Olive oil, for frying
- Romaine lettuce, chopped
- ½ lemon cut into wedges for serving
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and using a potato masher, mash the mixture until you’ve broken up most of the chickpeas into a paste. Leave some of the chickpeas semi whole to have a variety of size. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper, generously.
Mix the eggs, cornstarch, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, marash chili flakes, ¼ cup red onion, ⅓ cup chopped parsley (and or dill), and ¼ cup yogurt in the bowl with the chickpeas. Using two spoons, mix it all up together.
Using a ¼ measuring cup, portion out the mixture one by one into your hand and roll up into a ball before placing on a cookie sheet or cutting board. Your mixture should yield between 16-20 balls. Keep your hands wet with water so the mixture doesn’t stick to you.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. It doesn’t have to be cast iron but it’s preferred. Add 3 Tbsp. olive oil to coat the skillet and when the oil is hot, add some of the balls to the pan. (My skillet only can fit 5 at a time- portion these out as necessary). Make sure to space them out evenly, so the sides aren’t touching. Using your ¼ measuring cup or a spatula, press down on the balls to flatten them out to discs, spacing evenly apart, and press down on top of each with a spatula to flatten into discs. Be careful and move slowly, the oil is hot and can splatter.
*You can flatten the balls ahead of time but I find it more challenging to add them to the skillet without them breaking apart. You do what works best for you.
Cook the falafel for 3-5 minutes on each side until they have a nice crispy texture and a golden brown coloring. Since cast iron retains heat, you might experience some oil splattering. If you do, simply reduce heat to medium. Once the first set is finished cooking, move the falafel to a cookie sheet or wire rack to cool. Repeat the cooking process with another 3 Tbsp. oil and the remaining falafel balls.
Once all the falafel is cooling, start on your salad. Chop the romaine lettuce up and place into a big salad bowl. Add any veggies you like. I typically go for some shallot or finely chopped red onion, a bell pepper & cucumber. Then add three falafel to the side of the bowl, squeeze some lemon over everything and drizzle with olive oil. I typically do 1-2 wedges per salad and sometimes add a little bit of apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar to dress.
Ta Da! Pat yourself on the back, you’ve just mastered the best falafel recipe in the world. Mangia!
