Today’s Budget-Friendly No-Fuss Falafel are inexpensive, versatile and a real crowd pleaser. They’re also based on a time-honoured recipe that’s very simple to prepare.
Serves: Four
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3/4 cup coriander, finely chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, coarsely grated
- 1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- sunflower oil, for shallow-frying
Method
Using a food processor, process chickpeas until finely chopped and almost a paste. I don’t have a food processor, so I smash them in the mixing bowl with a heavy jar.
Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add ground spices, garlic, herbs, onion and salt and pepper to taste, then mix well to combine. Add in flour, bicarbonate of soda and egg. Using your hands to mix is most effective. Roll a tablespoon-sized amount of mixture into walnut-sized balls. Place on a tray. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or overnight) to firm. From experience, you don’t really have to do this, but just be gentle when handling them.
Using a large, deep frying pan, fill it with a few centimetres of oil. Shallow-fry falafel in the heated oil, adjusting the temperature as required. Cook falafel in batches, turning to cook evenly.
Place cooked falafel on paper towels to drain.
Serve with hummus, plain Greek yoghurt, rice and salad of your choice.
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