Can you believe it’s the first time I make it? ‘No way!’ Yeah I know. But I want to tell you that, falafel is EASY to make. You just need to plan ahead — soak the chickpeas! That’s it!
Is Falafel Difficult to Make？
Falafel, a classic Middle Eastern delicacy, had been on my to-try list since my diet changed to mostly plant-based. I looked up other’s recipes and found out it usually requires ingredients that I’m not familiar with, such as chickpea flour and tahini. Moreover, those complicated steps intimidated me, so I’ve been avoiding cooking for a long time.
But then I come across a falafel recipe from RecipeTinEats, I realised that I have already had all the ingredients on hand, and the steps are fairly SIMPLE. So I dared to challenge it!
Homemade Falafel 3 Main Steps
- Soak dried chickpeas.
- Blend chickpeas, herbs and seasonings, then shape.
- Shallow fry or bake.
Is Frying the Only Way?
The only thing that puts me off is frying. I rarely deep-fry at home as using so much oil in one shot is not my thing, and I don’t like handling the leftover oil. Albeit that, deep in my heart I know, fried falafel is much better than the baked one.
There are 2 solutions:
1. Shape the falafels into small balls and fry them twice in a small pan
2. Make falafels into disc shape and shallow-fry side by side.
I prefer method 2 — still fried, yet with less oil. So, here’s how my falafel looks like and they are great!
Easy Falafel Wrap Recipe
Yes, the ingredient list is long, but the cooking method is simple and straight forward. Once you soak the chickpeas, then you’re almost there!
Ingredients
Makes 8 Falafels
For the Falafel
- 100 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 2 scallions
- 15 g fresh coriander
- 15 g fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp water
For the Wrap
- 2 tortilla wraps
- avocado sauce
- ¾ avocado
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- salt and pepper
- ¼ avocado, cut into cubes
- ¼ small onion, sliced
- 3 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 large piece salad leaves
- plain yogurt
How to Make
- Blitz all the falafel ingredients in a food processor, then divide into 8 portions and shape into discs. Cover with a cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
- Then make the avocado sauce by mashing the avocado, add lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt pepper, mix well and set aside.
- Heat the tortilla warps as per packet instructions. (I heat mine in a dry frying pan, 1 min for each side)
- Back to the falafel. Heat enough oil to coat a pan and turn on to medium-high heat. Gently place in the falafels to shallow-fry and resist from moving them. Let cook until the bottoms are golden.
- While the falafels are frying, spread the avocado sauce on the tortilla, top with salad leaves, onions, tomatoes and the remaining avocado cubes.
- Flip the falafels to another side to continue frying. When they are nicely coloured, place them on a kitchen paper to absorb the excessive oil.
- At last, place the falafels into the wrap, and add some yogurt if desired. Enjoy!
