Falafel Help

hamsterboy

Hi All.
Me and the GF are really wanting to learn how to make our own falafel.
We got an easy to follow recipe here and everything was going fine until the time came to fry the falafel balls.
Instead of using a saucepan and oil like the recipe said, I just used the deep fat fryer. The damn things dissolved away to a mush and that was the end of my falafel.
Was this maybe because the oil was too hot, or that the guy in the recipe video fried them in very little oil, whereas I fried them in a lot of oil?

Any help on this would be great.

rockbeer

It's mad to see this thread today - I just cooked up a batch of felafels for the first time in ages.

The trick to felafel is that the chick peas must not be cooked, or exposed to any heat at all in fact, even hot water - before you make and deep fry the mix. Did you use tinned ones by any chance to save time? It'll never work that way. The first time the chick peas should get hot at all is when they go in the oil.

Otherwise, if you followed the recipe exactly, it's hard to say. That guy's recipe is very similar to mine. I always cook mine in a deep fat fryer these days and never have any problems with it. The main differences between his recipe and mine are that I would add some breadcrumbs instead of the flour, and I also drizzle some tahini into the mix - I just find that's good for the flavour and helps give it a nice moist texture. I usually add finely chopped onion too, but that's just a taste thing.

But tbh in my experience the exact proprtions of the mix aren't critical as long as the chick peas aren't heated first. Moister is definitely better than dryer though, so maybe the lack of tahini is significant, or maybe you could try adding a bit more water and turning the temp of the fryer down. I set mine to between 150 and 160.

hth. Good luck.

hamsterboy

Yeah you got me, I used tinned chick peas
Can't remember if I've ever seen fresh chick peas for sale anywhere but maybe I wasn't looking.
Anyway, I guess I get some fresh peas, soak them overnight and try the recipe again?
Let you know how it goes!

Slaphead07

is "fresh" felafal any nicer than the died packet stuff? I found felafal in DonnyBrook Fare (plastic flip top box) which was the nicest I've ever had anywhere. I really can't imagine freash stuff being any better.
Isn't the whole point of genuine felefal that it can be carried dry on long journeys (across deserts!) and just needsthe addition of water to be cooked?

olaola

I've used tinned chickpeas with good results - I'd add a bit of flour or egg to bind them.

rockbeer

hamsterboy wrote:

Yeah you got me, I used tinned chick peas

Ah well sometimes you have to learn the hard way

hamsterboy wrote:

Can't remember if I've ever seen fresh chick peas for sale anywhere but maybe I wasn't looking.

Well, it's dried ones you're after rather than fresh. You can pick them up in wholefood shops and oriental groceries. Supermarkets probably do them these days too,

hamsterboy wrote:

Anyway, I guess I get some fresh peas, soak them overnight and try the recipe again?
Let you know how it goes!

That's about it. Hope it works out for you.

Try this wicked sauce with it when you get them together. You don't need much:

Coriander Sauce

1 bunch fresh coriander, stemmed (about 1 cup loosely packed leaves)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno or other hot chilli, seeded (for a spicier chutney, leave the seeds in)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2 to 4 tablespoons water, or as needed

Combine the coriander, garlic & chilli in a blender or food processor. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin (if using) and process to a smooth paste. Add enough water to obtain a pourable sauce.

Taste for seasoning, adding salt and lemon juice as necessary; the sauce should be very highly seasoned. Serve at room temperature. Makes about 1 cup.

olaola wrote:

I've used tinned chickpeas with good results - I'd add a bit of flour or egg to bind them.

Egg would certainly bind them but I think it would change the consistency quite a lot. I never saw that in authentic recipe. Wouldn't you have to add loads of flour to get them to hold together? Still, if it works it works, nice one.

hamsterboy

I think I might have to try that sauce rockbeer, sounds really bloody tasty.
Tried a second batch from a combination of recipes I found.
Basically the same as last time but with some wholemeal bread included in the mix.
I also erred on the side of caution and added a little egg to bind it, as well as coating the falafel balls in egg and rolled them in breadcrumbs.
They kept together in the oil perfectly but I think my addition of egg to the mix altered the consistancy. I got the taste I wanted but the inside of the balls were a bit gooey. Might chance the mix WITHOUT the egg next time, but still coat them in breadcrumbs, to make sure they hold together.
Thanks for all the advice