Pan Fried Falafel Recipes

PAN-FRIED FALAFEL BITES

Steps:

• Place garbanzo beans, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, onion, egg, parsley, curry powder, garlic powder, lemon juice, and pepper into a food processor or blender. Puree until coarse, adding bread crumbs if needed as you don't want mixture too moist.
• Take 1 tablespoon of mixture, roll into a ball, and coat with panko bread crumbs. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining mixture.
• Heat remaining olive oil (about 1 inch) in a deep skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry bites until crispy golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary. Remove and drain on paper towels.

HOMEMADE FALAFEL (PAN-FRIED OR BAKED)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cover the chickpeas with 3 inches of water and let sit overnight. The chickpeas will double or triple in size.
• Drain the chickpeas. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and spread the chickpeas on top. Top with additional paper towels and press gently to dry. Allow to sit for up to 3 hours to further dry.
• Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer half to a large bowl. Add the herbs, onion, garlic, and seasoning to the food processor with the remaining chickpeas and process until fully combined and pasty. Mix into the chopped chickpeas.
• Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow the mixture to firm up. You can skip this step if desired, but the falafel will be more prone to breaking apart while they cook.
• If pan-frying: Heat 1" of oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
• Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, scoop out small balls of the falafel mixture, about 2 tablespoons in size. Once the oil is hot, add as many falafel to the pan as can easily fit without overcrowding- usually 4-5.
• Fry until crisp and deeply browned on the outside and cooked through inside, about 6 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil and sprinkle with additional kosher salt before serving.
• If baking: Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil a baking sheet and turn until fully covered. It should take about 1/4 cup of oil. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven to heat as the oven preheats.
• Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, scoop out small balls of the falafel mixture, about 2 tablespoons in size. When the oven is preheated, gently place the falafel on the hot baking sheet. Bake until crisp and deeply browned on the outside and cooked through inside, about 25-30 minutes, gently flipping once halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil and sprinkle with additional kosher salt before serving.

CRISPY PAN SEARED FALAFEL

Steps:

• Combine half the chickpeas, the onion, lemon juice, 4 teaspoons water, zucchini, cayenne, cumin, coriander, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add remaining chickpeas to processor, and pulse just until lumpy (should still have some texture), six to eight pulses. Stir into chickpea mixture. Stir in the herbs.
• Use your hands to pat the mixture into twelve 2-inch patties, each weighing about 1 1/2 ounces. Place each on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place skillet over medium heat, and cook 3 to 4 patties at a time, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer cooked patties to a heatproof plate to keep warm in a 200-degree oven, if necessary.
• To serve, toast pitas, and split them open. Arrange lettuce, tomato, and red-onion slices on each. Place two of the cooked patties on each pita. Sprinkle each with mint leaves. Serve with tzatziki.

FALAFEL

Steps:

• Put beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 to 4 inches - they will triple in volume as they soak. Soak for 24 hours, checking once or twice to see if you need to add water to keep the beans covered.
• Drain beans well and transfer to a food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the oil; pulse until minced but not puréed; add water tablespoon by tablespoon if necessary to allow the machine to do its work, but keep the mixture as dry as possible. (Too much water and your falafel will fall apart. If that happens, add more ground beans.) Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, cayenne or a little more lemon juice as needed.
• Put at least 2 to 3 inches of oil (more is better) in a large deep saucepan (the narrower the pan, the less oil you need; but the more oil you use, the more you can cook at one time). Turn heat to medium high and heat oil to about 350 (a pinch of batter will sizzle immediately; a piece of falafel will sink halfway to the bottom, then rise).
• Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the mixture and shape it into balls or small patties. Fry in batches, without crowding, until nicely browned, turning as necessary; total cooking time per batch will be less than 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.