My Best Turkish Falafels are mouthwatering, and so much more flavoursome than the ones sold in supermarkets and delis! Even my husband, who rarely likes meat-free dishes, loves them. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Falafels are the perfect finger food and fantastic to serve at picnics or parties.

WHAT IS FALAFEL?

Falafels are round-shaped fritters made with soaked chickpeas, fresh herbs and fragrant spices. They are a great meat substitute, packed with healthy plant fibres and proteins.

HISTORY OF FALAFEL.

There are many different theories about the origins of falafel. Some even trace it back to the Egyptian pharaohs, but the most popular one is that falafels originated with the Egyptian Copts, who introduced the dish to the Levant region during their migration.

Falafels are a staple dish in most Middle Eastern countries. They are the national dish of Israel and are equally popular in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and even Yemen. Many of these countries claim the origins of falafel. For all these nations the dish has a greater significance than just being food. It’s a symbol of their territorial identity.

The word falafel comes from the Arabic language and is the most popular name for this dish worldwide. The Egyptians call it Ta’amiyya.

In Egypt, falafels are made with fava beans, while in Middle Eastern countries and Turkey, they are made with chickpeas. This recipe is an adaptation of a Lebanese version of falafel, introduced to the Peninsula through Turkish cuisine.

Although falafel is not a traditional dish in the Balkans, it is a popular street food and a highly appreciated snack.

HOW TO MAKE the BEST TURKISH FALAFELS?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN MY TURKISH FALAFEL RECIPE

As the chickpeas do not have much flavour, you need to introduce flavours through the rest of the ingredients in this recipe:

Chickpeas: As a rule, use dry chickpeas when making falafel. Canned chickpeas are too watery, and the dough will become too wet.

Fresh herbs: The Lebanese make falafel with coriander, but the Turks use parsley instead. Although this recipe calls for flat-leaf parsley, you can substitute it with coriander for more flavour. Wash and pad dry the herbs to avoid adding moisture to the falafel dough.

Onion: You can use yellow, white or red onion in the recipe. I prefer to use red onion for its sweetness.  

Garlic: Garlic adds very settled but beautiful piquantness to the falafels. Always use fresh garlic because it has considerably more flavour than garlic powder.

Oil: Use Virgin olive oil to add flavour and moisture to the patty dough.

Lemon Juice: The traditional Lebanese recipe does not contain lemon juice, but lemon juice adds beautiful light citrus notes to the falafels. Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice with this recipe.

Baking soda: Baking powder is a raising agent. It gives a light and fluffy texture to the falafel patties. Although not all falafel recipes call for baking powder, I recommend using it.

Spices: Good selection of spices for falafel are black pepper, cumin and sweet paprika. If possible, use freshly ground spices because they are more fragrant. And make sure your spices are well sealed in their containers to keep them fresh for longer.

Water: If the patty dough is too dry, it will not hold its shape. To improve the consistency of the falafel dough, add a spoonful of water or olive oil. I usually add one tablespoon of olive oil. If the dough is still dry, I add a tablespoon of water.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Best Turkish Falafels are easy to make, but they take time to prepare as you need to soak the dry chickpeas overnight.

How many falafels you can make depends on the size of your chickpeas and your measuring scoop. With my scoop, I make approximately 15-16 falafel balls.

Follow the steps below to make these beautiful golden Best Turkish Falafels:

Step 1: Prepare the chickpeas for the falafel

Rinse the dry chickpeas well. Place them into a large dish or a bowl. Pour water into the bowl until the chickpeas are covered. Leave the chickpeas to soak overnight at room temperature. If you are short on time, ensure to soak the chickpeas for at least 5-6 hours. 

When you are ready to make the falafel, drain the water. Now the chickpeas will be soft and doubled in size. Remove all damaged chickpeas.

Step 2: Make the falafel dough

Use a food processor to make the dough. Place the chickpeas in the bowl of your food processor and process them into soft crumbs.

If your food processor is small, you may need to split the chickpeas into smaller portions and process them one at a time. 

Chop the fresh herbs.

Peel and dice the onion and the garlic.

Squeeze the lemon and collect the juice.

Add the chopped herbs, onions and garlic to the food processor with the chickpeas and process for 3-4 minutes.

Add all the spices, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and baking powder to the food processor and use the pulsing setting to mix all ingredients into a dough. If your food processor is small, you may need to do that again in several portions.

Take a scoopful of dough. Press it inside your hand to check if the dough holds its shape. If the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of water. If needed, use more water but do not make the dough too wet.

Cover the bowl with the dough with cling film wrap, and leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. Chilled dough is less sticky, which makes it easier to work with when shaping the falafel.

Step 3: Shape the falafels

Use an ice cream scoop to measure how much chickpea mixture (dough) to use for each falafel. If you do not have an ice cream scoop, measure three tablespoons of the chickpea dough for one falafel.

Roll the chickpea dough into a ball between your palms. The falafel balls must be roughly 1.5 inches in diameter. 

Step 4: Fry the falafels

Traditionally, falafels are deep-fried in cooking oil.

As a healthier option, cook the falafels in an air fryer. I prefer my falafels deep-fried because they become wonderfully crisp on the outside.

How to deep fry falafels?

If you do not have a deep fryer, use an extra large shallow pan and cook more falafels at a time. Pour plenty of cooking oil into the frying pan. At least half of the falafel ball must be submerged in the cooking oil for the falafels to cook well inside.

Heat the oil in the pan on medium heat. If the oil is too hot, the outside of the patties will cook more quickly than the inside.

Check if your oil is ready by placing one falafel in the oil. When the oil starts sizzling and bubbles form around the falafel patty, your oil is ready for cooking. Place carefully as many falafel balls as you can fit freely in the pan.

Cook the falafels for roughly 10 minutes, turning them regularly with tongs. When the falafels are golden in colour, take them out of the hot oil with a slotted spoon.

Line a large plate or a tray with kitchen paper and place the cooked falafels on the top of the kitchen paper to drain the oil.

How to cook falafels in the air fryer?

Brush the walls of the air fryer with cooking oil or spray them with oil spray. Place as many falafel balls as you fit in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook the falafels at 190°C/375°F for 12 minutes. Midway, turn the falafels inside the air fryer.

Air fry the rest of the falafels in the same manner.

🍲 SERVE The Best Turkish falafels

The best way to eat falafels is while they are still warm and fresh.

Traditionally, falafels are served stuffed in pita bread and garnished with salad and sauces, which is the best way to eat falafel.

If you want to give a more formal appearance to the dish, serve falafels as a part of a mezze platter or arrange them on a bed of fresh salad with sauces on the side. 

Falafels taste best when they are served with suitable dips or sauces. Hummus, garlic mayo and tzatziki complement the falafel well, and in the Middle East, falafels are consumed with tahini sauce.

Turkish falafels freeze well but lose their crunchiness when cold. Therefore, prepare the falafel dough in advance, freeze it and cook the falafels before serving them.

Bon Appétit! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳