Ingredients:

Falafel:

• 2 tins of chickpeas (800g), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped spring onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon room temp water
• 4-6 tablespoons plain flour

To cook:

• 1 cup panko crumbs
• Neutral oil for frying.

Serve with suggestions:

• Lebanese bread or pita breads
• Tahini sauce
• Garlic dip/paste
• Tzatziki
• cucumber, tomato, onion, capsicum, fresh mint leaves
• Onion salad (see notes)

Method:

1. Place chickpeas, spring onions, garlic, coriander, parsley, cumin, coriander seeds, salt, pepper, and water in a food processor and pulse until it resembles a course paste. Don’t forget to scrape down the edges in between a few pulses.
2. Add plain flour and pulse just until incorporated.
3. Place mix into an airtight container or bowl with cling wrap and into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
4. To mould, either use a cookie scoop or roll into 2 tablespoon balls/logs.
5. Crumb each falafel in panko crumb. These are best fried but you can also bake/air fry. Please make sure they are still chilled when frying to prevent them from completely collapsing even though they might slightly.
6. Heat oil over a medium heat. Oil should be 1/2 an inch high in the pan to ensure a crunch. Add falafels in the pan spacing them and do not over crowd the pan. I make these over two batches.
7. Cook 2-4 minutes on each side until crispy and golden. Place on a paper towel or cooling rack.
8. Best to serve immediately.
9. I like to make a wrap with lemon garlic tahini paste or tzatziki, a nice onion, parsley and sumac salad in either Lebanese bread or warm pita.

Tips/Substitutions:

• • My salad of choice: Slice two red onions and place in chilled water for 30minutes. Drain and add into a small bowl with 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon sumac, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
  • Freezing: To batch or make ahead of time, process falafel mixture and place into a large zip lock bag pressing flat. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. To cook, simply thaw in fridge and continue from step 4.
  • For gluten free option, use either gluten free flour or rice flour in the mixture. For the coating either use rice or chickpea flour.
  • Serving suggestions: picked veggies, fresh herbs such as mint, Lebanese/pita bread, lemon garlic tahini sauce, garlic paste/dip, tzatziki, or plain Greek yoghurt, onion salad (as suggested above) or a simple cucumber, tomato, onion, capsicum tossed in olive oil, salt and pomegranate molasses.
  • Baking: spray falafels with a neutral oil (I would use regular breadcrumb rathe than panko) and place on a lined baking tray and cook at 200C for 15-20 minutes rotating half way.

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