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Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
745 | Calories |
15g | Fat |
124g | Carbs |
33g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 2 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 745 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 15g | 20% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 1037mg | 45% |
Total Carbohydrate 124g | 45% |
Dietary Fiber 23g | 82% |
Protein 33g | |
Calcium 241mg | 19% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
This easy falafel recipe brings together chickpeas and a handful of seasonings to create an enviable crispy-on-the-outside and fluffy and moist texture on the inside. Falafel is popular food around in the Middle East, where vendors sell it on street corners in places such as Egypt, Greece, Syria, and Israel. It's also popular among vegetarians; falafel is flavorful, thanks to the parsley, garlic, cumin, and coriander, and contains a good deal of protein, because of the chickpeas.
Traditional falafel recipes use dried chickpeas and can be time-consuming because of the soaking needed to make the chickpeas soft before you cook them. Proponents of this method believe that cooking the chickpeas from their dried state results in falafel that taste better and doesn't fall apart when you fry it in a hot pan. (It helps to make sure your chickpeas are completely dry before you incorporate them with the rest of the ingredients.) This recipe, however, is for falafel from canned chickpeas, which ​cuts down on preparation time and the flour helps to bind it. It's perfect for those who want an easy falafel recipe that can be made on a weeknight.
Falafel is great on its own, with chunks of cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese and tahini sauce or a yogurt-based tzatziki sauce for dipping. Or tuck the falafel into a warm pita with any of those ingredients, along with some red onion, too. You can also serve it as part of a bigger mezze spread with hummus, tabbouleh, and other dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups canola or vegetable oil (or amount needed for frying)
Steps to Make It
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Gather ingredients.
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Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper (to taste) in a medium bowl. Add flour and combine well.
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Mash chickpeas, making sure to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.
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Form the mixture into the size of a ping-pong ball. Slightly flatten.
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Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 F until golden brown, about 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
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Serve falafel by itself, or with warm pita bread with veggies, or tahini sauce.
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Can You Replace All-Purpose Flour with Chickpea Flour
Yes, you can replace the all-purpose flour with chickpea flour if you have it in your pantry. It would give the falafel an extra nutty taste and boost the protein content slightly from the chickpeas. You can even make your own chickpea flour if you like.
Recipe Variation
If you don't want to deep-fry or pan-fry the falafel, you can bake it instead. Here's how.
Heat the oven to 375 F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick oil spray or line it with parchment paper. Place the falafel balls 3 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for an extra 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.
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