Lebanese Chickpea Falafel Recipe

Classic street food that is an appetizer or can be filled in to wraps and sandwiches

The Lebanese Chickpea Falafel Recipe is a classic street food of middle-east made from chickpeas. It is simple and quick to make and is very nutritious too. The Falafel's can be served as an appetizer or place in a pita bread sandwich or into a wrap. Most often the Lebanese Chickpea Falafel is had along with a Tabbouleh Salad, Pita Bread and  Hummus.

Recipe by Archana Doshi

Cuisine: Mediterranean
Diet: High Protein Vegetarian

Prep in 15 M | Cooks in 30 M | Total in 45 M | Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup Kabuli Chana (White Chickpeas) , soaked for 8 hours
1 tablespoon Gram flour (besan) , or all-purpose flour
2 cloves Garlic , chopped
Parsley leaves , small bunch, chopped (you can also use coriander)
1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)
Salt and Pepper , to taste
Cooking oil , for pan frying

How to make Lebanese Chickpea Falafel Recipe

1. To begin making the Lebanese Chickpea Falafel Recipe, we will first cook the soaked chickpeas until it is very soft. I personally like to use a pressure cooker. Click here to see how to cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker.

2. You will know the chickpeas is cooked well, when you press it between your fingers, it will mash up.

3. The next step is to proceed to make the falafel.

4. Combine all the ingredients, including the cooked chickpeas except the oil in a food processor.

5. Blend to make a coarse thick paste. Divide the falafel batter into  small portions of the size of a ping pong ball and flatten them slightly lightly.

6. I use a Kuzhi Paniyaram Pan pan to pan fry the falafels and the result is very similar to the deep fried ones. Add a teaspoon of oil into each of the cavities, place the shaped falafel into the cavities and pan fry them until it is crisp and browned on both sides. Add few more drops of oil when you flip over to fry them on the other side. This will help in getting the even color for the falafels.

7. You can alternatively, heat oil for deep frying and deep fry these falafels until browned evenly on all sides.

8. Serve the falafel hot along with Hummus, Tabbouleh Salad with Pita Bread or a wrap.