Cava Falafel Recipe
These falafels are of course made with the typical ingredients, but I bulked them up and added some extra nourishment with some shredded veggies inside. I love making these cava falafels ahead of time, freezing them, and having them ready to pop in the oven or air fryer and have dinner ready in 10 minutes.
Equipment
- pan
- pot
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cup dried chickpeas
- 1/2 tbsp baking soda
- 1 cup parsley leaves stems removed
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh dill stems removed
- 1 small onion
- 7-8 garlic cloves
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp toasted
- oil for frying
Falafel
- Tahini sauce
- pita pockets
- English cucumbers chopped or diced
- tomatoes
- baby arugula
- pickles
Instructions
- (One day in advance) Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 18 hours (longer if the chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, drain the chickpeas completely and pat them dry.
- Add the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Run the food processor 40 seconds at a time until all is well combined forming a the falafel mixture.
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (up to one whole night) until ready to cook.
- Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and stir with a spoon.
- Scoop tablespoonfuls of the falafel mixture and form into patties (½ inch in thickness each). It helps to have wet hands as you form the patties
- Fill a medium saucepan 3 inches up with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or so until crispy and medium brown on the outside. Avoid crowding the falafel in the saucepan, fry them in batches if necessary.
- Place the fried falafel patties in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Serve falafel hot next to other small plates; or assemble the falafel patties in pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato and cucumbers. Enjoy!
Notes
How to Make Falafel: Step-by-Step
- Soak chickpeas for 24 hours. Cover them in plenty of water and add baking soda to help soften them as they soak. The chickpeas will at least double in size as they soak. Drain very well.
- Make a mixture.Add chickpeas, fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, and dill), garlic, onion, and spices to a food processor and pulse a little bit at a time until the mixture is finely ground. You’ll know it’s ready when the texture is more like a coarse meal.
- & Refrigerate (important.) Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The chilled mixture will hold together better, making it easier to form the falafel patties.
- Form patties or balls. Once the falafel mixture has been plenty chilled, stir in baking powder and toasted sesame seeds, then scoop golf ball-sized balls and form into balls or patties (if you go the patties route, do not flatten them too much, you want them to still be nice and fluffy when they're cooked.)
- Fry. Frying is the traditional way to cook falafel and yields the most authentic and best result. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly (your oil should be hot enough around 375 degrees F, but not too hot that it causes the falafel to fall apart.)
- Tip: it's always a good idea to fry one falafel first to make sure the oil temperature does not need to be adjusted.