The Ultimate Jerusalem Style Falafel–How to Make The Best Falafel at Home

Published by Bat-El at May 15, 2022

Ingredients

2 cups dried chickpeas- must be soaked in water overnight (up to 24 hours)
5 garlic cloves
1 big onion- peeled and cut into 4
2 big handfuls of fresh cilantro
2 handfuls parsley
½ jalapeno pepper (optional)
2-3 Tbsp flour (I use white spelt)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1-2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
Deep oil for frying (vegetable/ peanut)

I love middle- eastern food! It is so flavorful, colorful, creative, fresh and of course crazy delicious! Every time my husband and I travel to Israel, our first stop, before even seeing any family or friends, is to go eat warm fresh falafel in a pita! NO MATTER WHAT, even if it's 10 o'clock in the morning or 12 am at night! This epic street food, made from the humble chickpeas is just a party of textures, flavors, and an unforgettable experience that you just can't get enough of. And the best part, it is so satiating! It fills you up like crazy, and it is totally vegan!!! What's not to love?

If you've ever been to Jerusalem, or Tel-Aviv, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about! And in this recipe, I'm going to explain to you exactly, step by step, how to make the BEST, Ultimate Jerusalem Style Falafel at home, with a healthier air fryer option as well. Because this meal is absolutely fun and delicious, and even easy to prepare in your very own kitchen! I can't wait for you to make it!

Instructions

1). Place the onions, garlic, cilantro, parsley and jalapeno in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

2). Wash the chickpeas very well and add them to the herb mixture. Do a few batches if needed and transfer to a mixing bowl.

3). Once everything is in the bowl add the flour, salt, pepper, baking soda, cinnamon, sesame seeds, and cumin. Mix very well and cover for 5-10 minutes. Check for salt and cumin! Don’t be afraid to have very dominant flavors. It's necessary in this case.

4). Meanwhile, heat up a pot with a natural flavor or peanut oil, around 350F degrees. With a little wet hands shape up small balls and place them on a plate. Once the oil is hot, carefully dump a few falafel balls into the oil. Do not crowd the pot as the oil can get cold.

5). After 1-2 minutes use a spider spoon to mix the balls by just gently moving them around from side to side. Once golden brown take out and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. This will absorb any excess oil from the deep frying.

6). Serve with many fresh condiments such as red and green cabbage, Israeli salad, pickles, drizzle lots of tahini, amba, arisa, and very fresh warm pita bread.

For the air fryer option:

Heat up your air fryer to 375 F.

Spray the air fryer base with some avocado oil spray, and place a few falafel bowls, making sure not to ever crowd the pan. Then spray a little oil on the falafel itself, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and serve immediately

Watch it on youtube

The unique and amazing thing about eating falafel / street food is absolutely all about the must-have condiments! Tahini and hummus are of course part of them. There are no limits to the quantities! Every bite becomes heavenly when loaded with yummy fresh salads and of course some french fries on the side. And let’s not forget the Israeli salad as well.

Good to know:

The processed falafel mixture, the “dough” before cooking, can be stored in the freezer up to 2-3 months. I put it in a zip-top bag.
Cooked, baked falafel is AMAZING for meal prep and can be stored in the fridge up to 5 days.
Better to reheat in the oven as opposed to the microwave, to bring back the crispiness.
Falafel doesn’t have to be round. If you use shallow oil, you can shape it as discs for a beautiful even crunch.
Falafel can be served in many ways, one of them is on a big salad drizzled with tahini.
If you want to keep it GF but don’t have chickpea flour, you can use cornstarch instead.
ALWAYS try one falafel in the oil before loading the rest. This way you have a chance to check the consistency!

More middle eastern food: