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Middle Eastern · Levantine · Egyptian

Falafel

Vegetarian

فلافل · falāfil

Crisp, herb-green fritters of soaked raw chickpeas, onion, garlic and spices, deep-fried until golden. Stuffed into pita with salad and tahini sauce, they are one of the region's great street foods.

Falafel is a Middle Eastern street food, ready in about 13 hours 15 minutes and made with dried chickpeas and parsley. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Tasty Mediterranean falafel bowl with fresh greens, a lemon slice, and hummus.
Photo: Loren Castillo / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
30 min
Total
13 h 15 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
432

Plus about 12 hours soaking the chickpeas.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soak the dried chickpeas (opens in a new tab) in plenty of cold water overnight (about 12 hours); they will more than double in size. Drain and pat dry.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Pulse the chickpeas, onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), parsley (opens in a new tab), cilantro (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), coriander, cayenne and salt in a food processor (opens in a new tab) until finely ground, like damp couscous — not a paste. Chill for 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil to 175 °C in a deep saucepan (opens in a new tab). Stir the baking soda (opens in a new tab) into the mixture and shape into walnut-sized balls or patties; press sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) onto them if using.

  4. Step 4

    Fry in batches without crowding until deep golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.

    • 15 min
    • 175°C

    Food safety: Never leave hot oil unattended, keep the pan at most a third full, and lower the falafel in gently to avoid splashes.

  5. Step 5

    Serve hot in pita with salad and tahini sauce (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedOften linked to Egypt, where ta'ameya is made with fava beans; the chickpea version is standard across the Levant. Exact origin is debated.Also popular in Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Jordan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Street food · Appetizers & starters
Cooking method
Deep-fried
Taste
herby, savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, nutty
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre
Without the optional extras: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Dried chickpeas · Parsley · Onion · Garlic · Coriander leaves · Cumin
Techniques
Deep-frying

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom pita bread
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom pita bread
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sesamefrom sesame seeds, pita bread, tahini sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

432 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 118 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 12%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 49%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy432 kcal366 kcal
Protein13.7 g11.6 g
Carbohydrate43 g36.4 g
Net carbohydrate34.3 g29.1 g
Sugars7.4 g6.3 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre8.7 g7.3 g
Fat24.2 g20.5 g
Saturated fat1.9 g1.6 g
Trans fat0.1 g0.1 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium914 mg774 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g1.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
582 mg
Calcium
71 mg
Iron
4 mg
Magnesium
62 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
59 µg
Vitamin C
17 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
367 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cayenne / chilli powder, sesame seeds, pita bread, tahini sauce.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Fry one test falafel first: if it breaks up, pulse the mixture a little finer or add a spoonful of flour.

Common mistakes

  • Using canned chickpeas, which makes the mixture too wet to fry.

Serve with

  • In pita with tomato, cucumber, pickles and tahini sauce, or on a plate with hummus.

Storage

  • The raw mixture (without baking soda) freezes well. Fried falafel keep 2 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp.

Variations

  • Ta'ameya (Egypt): Egyptian falafel made with dried fava beans and lots of herbs, so it is green inside.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 5

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