The GüdDish Falafel

We studied 192 recipes from around the world and combined the highest rated 13. Then we built the BEST!

Falafel. The GüdDish.

Serves 4–6 · 30–40 min prep · 765–780 min total · 6 steps

Ingredients

Ingredients for Falafel
  • 2 cups dried chickpeas
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
  • 3 1/2 tbs all-purpose flour
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2/3 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

What the best recipes taught us

  • Soak dried chickpeas overnight until they split easily when you press them. If you use canned chickpeas, the mix turns mushy and the falafel falls apart in the oil.
  • Pulse the mix until it looks like coarse crumbs and holds together when you squeeze it. If you blend it completely smooth, the falafel will be dense and bland.

Method

  1. 1
    Dried chickpeas soaking in a bowl of water
    2cdried chickpeas

    Put the dried chickpeas in a large bowl.

    Cover them with water so they stay under the water as they swell.

    Soak at room temperature for 12 hours, until a chickpea splits easily when you press it.

  2. 2
    Chickpeas, herbs, and onion pulsing in a food processor
    1lemon
    1yellow onion, coarsely chopped
    3garlic cloves
    2/3cfresh parsley
    3/4cfresh cilantro
    11/4tspground cumin
    2tspground coriander
    1tspkosher salt
    1/2tspground black pepper

    Drain the chickpeas in a colander and pat them dry.

    Juice the lemon into the food processor.

    Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper to the food processor.

    Pulse until the mix looks like coarse crumbs and holds together when you squeeze it.

  3. 3
    Falafel mix in a bowl, ready to chill
    31/2tbsall-purpose flour
    1tspbaking powder

    Add the flour and baking powder to the food processor.

    Pulse a few more times.

    Scrape the mix into a bowl.

    Cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

  4. 4
    Oil heating in a heavy pot
    4cvegetable oil

    Meanwhile, pour the vegetable oil into a heavy pot.

    Heat the oil to 350°F.

  5. 5
    Raw falafel balls on a plate

    Roll the mix into balls about 1 1/2 inches across.

    Set the balls on a plate.

  6. 6
    A few falafel frying in hot oil
    kosher salt

    Add a few balls at a time to the hot oil.

    Fry until the crust is brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, turning once.

    Lift the balls onto a rack. Salt them while they are hot.

    Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.

    Serve right away.