- Prep time:
- 45 mins, plus overnight soaking
- Cook time:
- 20 mins
- Serves:
- 4-6
Full of tempting Middle Eastern flavours, Tamasin Day Lewis's deep-fried falafel are perfect for a picnic or packed lunch
Ingredients
- 350g Chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 2 tsp Coriander seeds
- 2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 Onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 handful flat leaf Parsley, tough stalks removed, leaves chopped
- 1 handful of fresh Coriander, tough stalks removed, leaves chopped
- 500-700ml groundnut oil
- black pepper
- tzatziki, to serve
Method
1. Drain the chickpeas and dry with paper towels.2. Roughly grind the coriander and cumin seeds with a pestle and mortar.
3. Put the chickpeas in a food processor with the spices, onions, garlic, chillies, herbs, and salt and pepper. Blitz for a minute or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until you have a grainy pulp.
4. Take walnut-sized portions of the mixture and form into flat patties about 2cm thick. If you don't want to cook them immediately, place in a single layer on plates and store in the fridge, covered, for up to 24 hours.
5. Pour the oil into a deep-fryer or large saucepan. Heat to 190°C, or until a bit of the falafel mixture resurfaces at once, bubbling furiously.
6. Cook the falafel a few at a time, for 2-3 minutes until deep golden-brown. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towel.
7. Serve warm or cold with tzatziki.
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Latest Comment
View all comments (5)I've followed the recipe and when i cook the falafel, they disintergrate into the oil.... My oil is hot and the paste is fairly dry, so not sure why they fall apart! Any help?
ok thanks, will give all the advice a go
the recipe works better if you add a couple of sliced of bread-blitzed into breadcrumbs or about 2 tbs of chickpea flour - readily available from most supermarkets
Falafels are best made with soaked, uncooked chick peas - they hold together better.
i made the recipe exactly to the recipe but found that my falafels just melted like a boiled sweet into the oil, i thought the oil needed to be hotter so delayed putting anymore in till it was, this time they browned quickly but still had a raw taste in the middle, bit of a disaster really......what did i do wrong?