Baked Falafel Recipe - Planning With Kids (2024)

FAQs

How do you make falafels stay together? ›

And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties.

Baking soda and powder: Baking soda breaks down and softens the chickpeas as they soak. Baking powder, mixed in just before baking, makes the falafel light and airy. Fresh herbs: The tender leaves of parsley, dill, and cilantro bring fresh, herbal flavor and color.

If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs. The falafel mixture after prepared can be shaped by hand or with a tool called an alb falafel (falafel mold).

For latkes and falafel, I find that they turn out best if I fry them, place on a wire rack over drip tray or on a layer of paper towels, let excess oil run off for a few minutes, and then transfer to a low oven (100-150 F) to stay warm while I cook the rest.

Using dried chickpeas eliminates the need for flour or other binders, giving you falafel that is light and crisp. Letting the falafel dough rest after grinding allows starch to seep out, making it easier for the balls to retain their shape.

Chill the mixture: Before forming your falafels, chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This will help to firm up the mixture and prevent it from falling apart during cooking. Don't over-mix the mixture: Over-mixing the mixture can cause the falafel to become dense and soft.

Baking soda — It may seem odd to add baking soda to a savory recipe, but it helps keeps the interior texture of the falafels fluffy.

Along with the fresh herbs, this trio of spices is what gives falafel it's bold authentic taste. - Baking powder: this is what gives falafel an airy, fluffy texture (many recipes skip this, causing the falafel to come out too dense.) - Sesame seeds: these are optional here, but I do like the added nuttiness.

Some folks add baking powder to the mix instead, which is a combination of an acid and a base; but baking powder is overall slightly basic, so it has a similar effect on chickpeas (if this makes you go “wait, how?!”, scroll down to the note on baking powder that's above the falafel recipe).

They have to have enough fresh herbs and onion. Too much onion and your falafel will have a bad after taste. Too little and they won't be as moist and fluffy as they should be. It's all about balance.

Why is my falafel wet inside? ›

Its the deep frying in oil that should cook the beans. The moisture in the pre cooked beans make the falafels soggy and fall apart whereas frying the uncooked chickpeas makes them crispier.

The problem is that canned chickpeas have too much moisture. The result is a dough that doesn't quite stick together, and tends to spread or flatten out in the pan. This is sad falafel and we don't want that.

A cooked falafel is supposed to be crispy and crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Due to variations in preparation methods and recipes - some falafels are mushier and with more moisture, while others are a bit more on the dry side.

If the chickpeas or other ingredients are stale or past their prime, the falafel may taste dull or have an unpleasant aftertaste.

Served deliberately cold, perhaps from a supermarket supermarket chiller cabinet, falafel become gritty truffles of tedium, as tasteless as packing foam. As the food writer Daniel Young once put it: “It must be eaten hot and fresh. You can wait for your falafel, but your falafel shouldn't wait for you.”

Try turning it down to medium or medium low. Also, one thing you might try when making your falafel mix is to use the coldest water possible in it. This will help the falafel to stick together when frying.

This gives time for the excess liquid to absorb and the mixture to take on a stickier consistency that's easier to shape and less likely to fall apart during frying. If you want to make your falafel mixture in advance, it's fine to leave it covered in the fridge for as long as 24 hours.

The baking soda is meant to be added just 5-15 minutes before frying! If you don't have baking soda, then use baking powder instead. Don't skip this ingredient as it helps your falafel become airy and soft rather than tough and dense.

To make ahead: Prepared falafel mixture will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days ahead of time. Form it into patties when ready to fry. To freeze: Place uncooked falafel patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour.