Golden, craggy fritters of ground chickpeas (and sometimes fava beans) blitzed with parsley, garlic, onion and warm spices, deep-fried until shatteringly crisp outside and herb-green and fluffy within. Eaten by the handful or stuffed into pita with tahini, pickles and tomato.
Falafel's roots reach deep into the Eastern Mediterranean, where cooks ground soaked pulses long before refrigeration. In Lebanon the chickpea-and-fava version became a beloved street food of Beirut and Tripoli, sold from tiled corner shops where the fritters are scooped fresh into pillowy bread. Generations of vendors guarded their own spice blends, and a good falafel stand could draw lines down the block at lunchtime.
The first bite cracks through a brittle, sesame-flecked shell into a steamy, herbaceous green crumb. Cumin and parsley hum against the nutty chickpea, while a slick of lemony tahini and the snap of a pickle pull it all together.
Using only soaked-raw, never cooked, pulses keeps the interior dry enough to fry without disintegrating, while their starch and protein set into a fluffy crumb. A late addition of baking soda releases gas in the hot oil for lightness, and high-heat frying flash-crisps the surface before the inside overcooks.
Variations
All-fava-bean Egyptian-style ta'meya; chickpea-only version; flattened discs vs round balls; rolled in sesame seeds; served as sandwich, platter, or over salad
On the Palate
Where Falafel Lebanese sits in the Lebanese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
7 steps · 30 min
- 15 min
Soak dried chickpeas (and fava beans if using) in plenty of water overnight; do not use canned or cooked beans.
Watch outUse only raw soaked chickpeas, never canned or cooked — soaked ones stay dry enough to hold together; cooked beans turn to mush and the balls fall apart in the oil.
- 210 min
Drain well and grind raw with onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin and coriander to a coarse, sandy paste.
- 335 min
Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne, then chill the mixture at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- 43 min
Just before frying, stir in baking soda and a little sesame seeds for lift and crunch.
Watch outStir in the baking soda only at the last minute before frying — add it early and the fizz dies off, leaving the falafel dense instead of fluffy.
- 510 min
Shape into small patties or balls using a falafel scoop or two spoons.
- 612 min
Deep-fry in 175C oil in batches until deep golden-brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
Watch outFry hot and fast until deep golden and crisp — a ball dropped in should bob up sizzling right away; if the oil's cool they drink up grease and break up.
- 75 min
Drain on paper and serve hot with tahini sauce, pita, pickled turnips and tomato.
