Quick and Easy Homemade Falafel

To make traditional falafel, you need to soak chickpeas overnight and then grind them in a food processor, before mixing in your herbs and spices. This will make epically delicious falafel (so if you have the time, make these ones from Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook).... but it will also take up a lot of your time, and significant foresight.

And let's say you're a sleep-deprived mother of two, who can barely find time to shower, and suddenly you find yourself starving with 15 minutes to spare (shower or eat? Shower or eat?! That is always the question).... well you should whip up a batch of these super easy falafel and feed yourself already! They're delicious, and they feel kind of special.

They're made with chickpea flour, so there's no need to soak anything 12 hours in advance, and no need to break out the food processor. You should give them a try sometime.

Read on for the recipe...

Quick and Easy Instant Falafel

1 cup chickpea/garbanzo bean flour

1/4 packed fresh parsley or cilantro (or a combination thereof)

1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp baking powder

1-2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)

1 spring onion, minced (or 1 tsp onion powder)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup warm water

optional: 1/8 tsp cardamom powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 

Oil for frying (preferably one with a high smoke point such as grapeseed or peanut)

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix everything together, starting with the dry ingredients, then incorporating the wet.
optional: Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. This makes it easier to roll it into balls, but it is not crucial.
Heat some oil in a frying pan on a medium/ medium-high heat. Form the mixture into golf-ball sized balls, and flatten them ever so slightly.
When the oil is hot, fry the falafel on each side for about 4-5 minutes until golden brown, and cooked through.
Use a slotten spoon to scoop out the falafel and place them on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.

Serve hot, with tahini sauce (see recipe below) and hummus, or in a pita sandwich.

Basic Tahini Sauce (from the Jerusalem Cookbook)

150g light tahini paste
120ml water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp salt