Original falafel recipe – super tasty!

January 5, 2025

Although I’ve been married to a Palestinian for years, I haven’t dared to make falafel myself for a long time! Why actually? Well, before I answer this question, here are a few facts about falafel itself. I hope you enjoy my falafel recipe 🧡.

Falafel – what is it?

Falafel is a street food from the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine). Falafel has become very popular in Germany in recent years. They have become an integral part of vegan/vegetarian cuisine in particular. Falafel consists mainly of chickpeas, onions, garlic, lots of green herbs such as parsley and spices. They are formed into balls and deep-fried.

Falafel – the most important ingredients

Chickpeas: It is important to use dry chickpeas that have been soaked beforehand. This is the only way to achieve a crispy and slightly crumbly consistency on the outside (the recipe does not work with pre-cooked chickpeas).
Fresh green herbs: Lots of fresh herbs provide the beautiful green color. I recommend buying a large bunch from the greengrocer rather than the small packaged herbs from the supermarket.
Spices: For this falafel recipe, I have used whole coriander seeds and cumin, as these give off much more flavor than the ground version. However, you can also achieve very good results with ground spices, so feel free to use whatever you like or have in your pantry.
Onion: Do not use onion powder as fresh onions add texture, some moisture and extra flavor to the patties.
Garlic: Surprisingly, garlic is not essential for a falafel recipe, but it does add extra flavor. I have used 4 small cloves of garlic here. You can add more or less depending on your preference.
Baking soda: This is optional, but I recommend adding it just before baking or frying the falafel. It is a leavening agent that provides a light and airy texture. You can also use baking powder as an alternative.
Tahini dip (serving suggestion): Tahini, lemon, garlic & water
Sumac onion (serving suggestion): red onions, olive oil, lemon, sumac.

Falafel recipe – step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Soak the chickpeas.
Place the chickpeas and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl with plenty of water (the chickpeas should be well covered with water) and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas in a sieve.

Step 2: Prepare the ingredients.
Peel and roughly chop the herbs, onions and garlic (to make it easier for the food processor later).

Step 3: Mix.
Place the remaining ingredients for the falafel mixture and the spices with the soaked chickpeas (except the sesame seeds) in a food processor/kitchen appliance and blend. Use a scraper to press the mixture down from above and blend again. Repeat this step 2-3 times until the mixture has a uniform consistency and holds together well (but is not mushy)

Step 4 : Chill the falafel mixture. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and mix in the sesame seeds. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for approx. 40-60 minutes.

Step 5: Shape & bake the falafel. Take the mixture out of the fridge and form balls from a heaped tablespoon of mixture and carefully place in the oil. (Or with a falafel maker). Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

Step 6: Serve
Enjoy with hummus, fresh salata, sumac onions, tahini sauce and Arabic flatbread. For the tahini sauce, mix the tahini, garlic and juice from a fresh lemon. Add enough water and continue stirring until you have a creamy consistency. You can find my tahini recipe here.

My first experience with falafel

But now back to the question of why I haven’t made falafel myself before?
When I met my husband, he told me about his uncle who lives in Switzerland and has several falafel stores(Pittaria). He said his falafel was the best falafel in the whole city, even in the whole of Switzerland – and rightly so! His falafel are the way falafel should be and nothing else! Crispy on the outside, nice and warm on the inside, wrapped in a warm, fluffy pita bread with the finest hummus, tahini sauce and fresh salad. For me, it was, and still is, an absolute taste sensation! And it’s all VEGAN too! It was clear to me: if falafel, then only at our uncle Sami’s pittaria! That’s why I didn’t even think about making falafel myself for many years. But due to the corona pandemic, we couldn’t visit him as often as we used to, so I decided to try it myself!

Falafel recipe – what do you eat with falafel?

We like to eat them rolled up in pita bread (Arabic flatbread) with hummus, tomato, cucumber, sumac onions and a fine tahini sauce. But they also taste great on their own, preferably when they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Or briefly dipped in hummus…a dream!

Can I prepare falafel in the oven?

If you want really crispy falafel, pan-frying is the best option. However, you can also prepare falafel in the oven; place each ball on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving about 1.5 cm of space between them. Spray them with baking spray. Preheat the oven to 190°C and bake for about 25-30 minutes, turning them halfway through baking to crisp them up on all sides. The falafel are ready when they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. If you like them extra crispy, you can leave them in the oven for a few minutes longer, but make sure they don’t burn.

Tips & tricks for authentic falafel

Do not use canned chickpeas! Use dried chickpeas and soak them. This is the most important tip for preparing falafel. The problem with canned chickpeas is that they are too soft and moist to achieve a crispy outer texture. If you still use canned chickpeas, you will need to compensate for the moisture by adding flour, which will change the recipe.
Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge. This time helps the ingredients to bind well and allows the flavors in the mixture to develop, so do not skip the resting time in the fridge.
Make sure the patties stick together well before frying. The mixture should be moist and paste-like, but not too wet. It should be compact before you add it to the oil. If not, you may need to pulse it again in a blender until it holds together. Or use a falafel maker to shape the falafel. I have linked my falafel maker in the recipe card below.
Use an oil with a high smoke point for frying. Some olive oils may be suitable for this, depending on their smoke point. To be safe, use an oil that is meant for frying, such as grapeseed oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil.

Video of the falafel recipe

3 more recipes from me:

If you like my falafel recipe, then I have 3 more recipes for you here and my beloved tahini sauce to go with falafel:

Easily memorize photos and recipes on Pinterest

You can easily and practically memorize my recipes on Pinterest . Simply click here, choose one and pin it to one of your pinboards.

Click on a picture of a recipe and the “Pin” button from Pinterest will appear at the top left. Simply click on it.

What do you think of my falafel recipe?

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Feel free to leave me a comment below or share your feedback on Instagram. I’m always happy about compliments, new tips, and friendly feedback.

Best regards

Classic Falafel Recipe – Easy, Crispy & Authentic

Falafel are made primarily from chickpeas, onions, garlic, plenty of fresh green herbs like parsley, and a blend of spices. They’re shaped into small balls and deep-fried until golden and crispy. This is a classic falafel recipe, just the way I learned it in Palestine.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 40

Servings: 30 Bällchen

Course: Main course

Cuisine: arabic, irak, iran, israel, lebanon, palestine, syria

Calories: 114

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

neutral oil for frying e.g., sunflower oil
300 g dried chickpeas
½ tsp baking soda optional

Für die Falafel-Masse

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley approx. 80g
½ bunch fresh cilantro approx. 40g
⅓ bunch fresh mint approx. 20g
2 medium size onion
4 garlic cloves
juice of half a lemon
3 tbsp white sesame seeds

Gewürze:

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp Kreuzkümmel
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
2 tsp paprika powder
ca. 1,5 tsp salt (to taste)
ca. 1,5 tsp black pepper (to taste)

Für die Sumach-Zwiebeln:

2 tbsp sumac
2 red onions (thinly sliced into long strips)
4 tbsp olive oil

Equipment

1 Falafel-Maker
1 Foodprocessor

Method

Place the chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of water (the chickpeas should be covered by approx. 6 cm / 2–3 inches of water). Let them soak overnight.
The next day, drain the chickpeas in a colander.
Peel the onions and garlic, then roughly chop them (this makes it easier for the food processor to blend them later).
Add the remaining ingredients for the falafel mixture and the spices to the soaked chickpeas (except the sesame seeds) and blend everything in a food processor.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend again. Repeat this step 2–3 times until the mixture has an even consistency and holds together well (but is not mushy).
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and mix in the sesame seeds.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approx. 40–60 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the sumac onions and tahini sauce. I’ve linked the recipe for my tahini sauce earlier in the blog post.
For the sumac onions, mix the sumac, onions, and olive oil well in a bowl.
Pour the oil into a pot (approx. 2–3 cm / 1 inch deep) and heat it until bubbles form around the handle of a wooden spoon dipped into the oil (approx. 190°C / 375°F).
Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and shape it into balls using a heaping tablespoon of the mixture. Carefully place the falafel into the hot oil (or use a falafel maker).
Repeat this step until the bottom of the pot is well covered.
Fry for about 1 minute without moving the falafel, then turn them and fry for another 1–2 minutes until crispy.
Remove them from the pot and let them drain on a paper towel.
Serve with hummus, fresh salad, sumac onions, tahini sauce, and pita bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 194mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 255IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mg

Notes

Chickpeas can absorb so much water that they double in size, which is why you need to use plenty of water for soaking.

Cooling the mixture allows the starch to release, which helps the falafel hold together during frying and prevents them from falling apart. It also gives all the ingredients time to develop a deeper flavor and aroma.

To shape the falafel, you can use a falafel maker, an ice cream scoop, two spoons, or simply your hands. For this recipe, I used a falafel maker. You can easily find an affordable one online these days.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Share the recipe via…

Leave me a comment

0 Comments

Hi, I’m Shiba

I’m glad you’re here. My dishes are very much inspired by the cooking skills of my mother, who comes from Pakistan. I also present Palestinian dishes that I learned about from my husband’s family. So you’ll find lots of dishes from 1001 nights here!

I hope you enjoy browsing and cooking.

more about me…

free EBooks

Subscribe to our newsletter

Even more delicious recipes