How to Make Crispy and Fluffy Homemade Falafel the Professional Way

Step-by-Step Recipe for Falafel:

Step 1: Soaking the Chickpeas and Importance of Time
The first step in making a delicious market-style falafel is soaking the chickpeas. The longer you soak them, the better the falafel will be after cooking. The minimum soaking time for chickpeas should be 6 hours, but in market-style falafels, they are typically soaked between 24 to 72 hours to soften thoroughly.

Step 2: Impact of Soaking on Chickpea Gas
Soaking the chickpeas not only helps them soften but also reduces their gas-causing effects. Preparing the falafel mixture is easy. Simply mix the soaked chickpeas with the other ingredients after they have been soaked well.

Step 3: Preparing the Falafel Mixture and Ingredients
Place the soaked chickpeas, parsley, garlic, onion, coriander powder, potato, and cumin in a mixer or meat grinder to blend them into a uniform mixture. Adding parsley is optional.

Tip 1: Using a Meat Grinder
For tastier and better-formed falafel, chefs recommend using a meat grinder rather than a blender, as the blender may mash the ingredients too much.

Step 4: Adding Flavorings to the Mixture
Pureeing the chickpeas can cause falafel to fall apart during frying, but when the falafel mixture is ground, it does not mash completely. After grinding or blending, squeeze the juice from the lemon and strain it.

Step 5: Kneading the Falafel Mixture
Add the strained lemon juice, along with some salt, black pepper, falafel spices, and turmeric to the mixture. After adding the flavorings, grind or blend the mixture again.

Step 6: Tips for Storing the Falafel Mixture
Once the mixture is blended, knead it for about 5 minutes with your hands, just like kebab mixture, until it becomes cohesive and smooth. The falafel mixture should be slightly loose and not too stiff.

Step 7: Ideal Time for Refrigeration
If you have a large batch of falafel mixture, you can place it in a freezer bag and freeze it for future use. After preparing the mixture, it's best to refrigerate it for about 1 to 2 hours for better cohesion.

Step 8: Preparing the Frying Pot and Oil
If you're short on time, you can skip the refrigeration and directly fry the falafel. Use a deep container like a milk warmer on very low heat and fill it with enough oil for the falafel to float.

Step 9: Shaping and Frying the Falafel
One key point when frying falafel is that it should not be fried in a small amount of oil like a cutlet. Fill the falafel mold with the mixture and press it firmly with the back of a spoon to prevent it from falling apart during frying.

Tip 2: Frying Considerations
Shape the falafel as much as the space allows and drop them into the oil. Allow the falafel to cook slowly and thoroughly. A key tip is to control the heat: if the heat is too high, the oil will burn quickly, and the falafel will cook unevenly.

Step 10: Draining Excess Oil
After frying the falafel, place them on a metal rack or paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Step 11: Serving the Falafel
Once the excess oil is drained, arrange the falafel on a plate and serve with baguette, fresh vegetables like tomatoes, pickles, and shredded lettuce. You can also serve falafel with mango sauce or ketchup.

Tips for Making Better Falafel:

1. For a Market-Style Falafel:
   If you want your falafel to taste like the ones from vendors or sandwich shops, use more onions and less potato, along with flavorings like special falafel spices, cumin, and coriander.

2. Falafel Texture:
   If you want your falafel to be fluffy and airy, you can add a little baking powder to the mixture. Avoid using baking soda as it can cause harm.

3. Sesame Falafel:
   To make sesame falafel, you can either mix sesame seeds into the mixture or roll the falafel in sesame seeds before frying.

4. Meat Falafel:
   If you prefer a meat-filled falafel, add about 100 to 200 grams of ground meat to the ingredients. Cooking times won’t change, but the falafel will need to stay in the oil longer to cook the meat thoroughly.