Authentic Lebanese Falafel
Learn how to make authentic Lebanese falafel that is crisp, herby, and oh-so-dippable in a luscious tahini sauce. Homemade falafel is a thing of beauty, and it’s so delicious it changes your mind if the only falafel you’ve eaten is in a restaurant or from a boxed mix.
What is Falafel?
Falafel fritters are made from a delicate crumb of soaked-from-dry (not cooked) chickpeas and peeled fava beans with a glorious shower of fresh mint, cilantro and parsley, spiked with jalapeno/garlic/onion/sesame. Falafel is flash fried for the ultimate flavor and texture. A simple yet elegant tahini-yogurt sauce is great for drizzling or dipping.
Ingredients to make Authentic Lebanese Falafel
For the falafel:
Dry (uncooked) chickpeas
Dry peeled fava beans (be sure they’re the pale, peeled dry favas, not the dark unpeeled favas, which won’t work)
Kosher salt
Fresh mint
Flat leaf parsley
Cilantro leaves
Jalapeno
Garlic
Yellow onion
Baking soda
Safflower or canola oil, for frying (about 3 cups)
For the Tahini Yogurt Sauce
Yogurt
Tahini (stir before measuring)
Kosher Salt
Garlic
Lemon
How to make fabulous Falafel
The main thing to keep in mind when making falafel is to start a day ahead. The chickpeas and fava beans start from dryand need a good long soak to soften. They are not then cooked from here, but are soft enough to process with the other falafel ingredients.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, cover the chickpeas and fava beans with cool water by several inches. Soak them overnight and up to 24 hours.
Step 2: Drain the chickpeas and fava beans. In the food processor, process them with a teaspoon of salt until they are ground to a coarse crumb. Add the mint, parsley, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, onion, and sesame seeds and pulse until the mixture is finely ground to a moist, bright green crumb. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the baking soda, and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to one day.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan or sauté pan until a pinch of herb dropped in floats and bubbles dramatically. Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, pack the falafel mixture tightly into the scoop to form 2-inch ovals, and fry a few at a time until they are golden brown, flipping them over with tongs as soon as they are browned on one side. Remove the falafel from the oil with the tongs to a paper towel-lined plate, and fry the remaining falafel in the same way.
How to make an easy tahini sauce for Falafel
To make the tahini yogurt sauce, process or blend the yogurt, tahini, salt, and garlic until combined. Add the lemon juice and pulse or whisk to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. The sauce has a nutty flavor of tahini with a bit of the tang of the yogurt.
Best ways to serve and eat Lebanese Falafel
Serve the falafel hot with the tahini sauce on the side or drizzled over top. Or you can make fresh herb falafel pita wraps by placing a thin loaf of pita on each plate (or a split thicker pita). Lay several falafel along one side of the bread a few inches from the edge. Top with tahini sauce, fresh herbs, and pink pickled turnips. Roll the pita up tightly, cut in half on the diagonal, and serve immediately with more sauce for dipping.
Substitutions and Tips for Lebanese Falafel
When the falafel recipe was in testing for the book, my trusty testers (thank you, again and again!) kept telling me the recipe wasn’t working out. Turned out their fava beans were not the big white peeled beans, but the dark ones with the skins on. Those are more readily available but they don’t work here. As a reminder: cooked chickpeas from the can will not work in this recipe. Use uncooked chickpeas and soak them overnight.
Don’t have peeled fava beans? Substitute them and use all chickpeas for the recipe.
How to Store Lebanese Falafel
Falafel is best eaten immediately after it is fried. Store leftover falafel in an airtight container. The falafel will stay fresh for about 4 days in the refrigerator; reheat in the microwave or in a low oven.
You can also freeze cooked falafel fritters for up to 3 months. Just place the cooled falafel on a baking sheet in the freezer until they are completely frozen and then transfer them to either freezer bags or an airtight container. To reheat, place the frozen falafel in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes or until they are heated through and crispy.
Make ahead option
You can also freeze the uncooked falafel mixture, which freezes beautifully. Just transfer the falafel “dough” to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. When you are ready to cook the falafel, allow the mixture to thaw in the refrigerator, then form into fritters and follow the frying instructions.
More Recipes with Chickpeas
Lebanese Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas and Kale
Lebanese Fattah: Chickpeas, pita chips, and labneh with garnishes
Crunchy Roast Chickpeas with Za’atar
Authentic Lebanese Falafel
Ingredients
For the falafel:
- 1/2 cup dry (uncooked) chickpeas
- 1/2 cup dry peeled fava beans (be sure they’re the pale, peel dry favas, not the dark unpeeled favas which won’t work)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 3/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 small jalepeno, ribs and seeds removed and coarsely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion (1 small onion)
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Safflower, vegetable, or canola oil, for frying (about 3 cups)
For the tahini sauce:
- 3/4 cup yogurt or laban
- 1/3 cup tahini (stir before measuring)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cover the chickpeas and fava beans with cool water by several inches. Soak them overnight and up to 24 hours.
- Drain the chickpeas and fava beans. In the food processor, process them with a teaspoon of salt until they are ground to a coarse crumb. Add the mint, parsley, cilantro, jalepneo, garlic, onion, and sesame seeds and pulse until everything is finely ground and the mixture is a fine, web crumb—but not pureed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the baking soda, and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to one day.
- To make the tahini sauce, process the yogurt, tahini, salt, and garlic until combined. Pour in the lemon juice and pulse to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings so that the sauce has a nutty flavor of tahini with a bit of the tang of the yogurt.
- Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan or sauté pan until a pinch of herb dropped in floats and bubbles dramatically. Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, pack the falafel mixture tightly in to the scoop to form 2-inch ovals, and fry a few at a time until they are golden brown, flipping them over with tongs as soon as they are browned on one side. Remove the falafel from the oil with the tongs to a paper towel-lined plate, and fry the remaining falafel in the same way.
- Serve the falafel hot with the tahini sauce on the side or drizzled over top.
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