Falafel Recipe (Best Homemade Falafels)

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 375 F.

Cover the dry chickpeas in a bowl of ample cold water on the counter for 10-12 hours or up to 24 hours in the fridge. They will swell into 2 cups. Place in a strainer, drain well, pat dry with a towel for extra dryness. (Wet chickpeas will be more difficult to fry.)

Place onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno in the food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the 2 cups of the soaked, raw chickpeas, salt, spices, and baking soda, pulse again 10 times, scrape down sides, then add the olive oil, and process 10 seconds, until it is well blended but still coarse like sand. Don’t overwork it- this should not be smooth but coarse and granular for the best texture.

Using damp hands, carefully form 12 round ping pong-sized balls in your hands, compressing them into a tidy ball. Place on a sheet-pan. The dough will feel wet and delicate, and this is completely OK.

In a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on med-high heat until it sizzles when a pea-sized falafel is dropped. Turn heat to medium. Place them carefully in the hot oil, (they are fragile but should hold together just fine) slightly press down, and do not move them until they develop a deeply golden crust (this crust will ensure they naturally release themselves from the pan). Using a thin metal spatula, carefully turn them over. Lower heat if necessary. Sear the other side. Each side will take about 3-4 minutes. Cook in batches, not overcrowding. Place falafels in the oven while you cook the remaining falafels to cook them through. Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Falafels can be cooked ahead, frigerated, and reheated in the oven. Alternatively, the falafel “dough” can be made ahead, refrigerated, and used throughout the week.

Serve with pita bread, tahini sauce, or tahini yogurt sauce (my favorite), sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh cilantro and pickled onions.