The "green jewel" that spread to the world from the back alleys
Walking the street corners of the Middle East, the crackle of frying oil and the scent of spices drift out of the back alleys. The source of it is falafel (فلافل): chickpeas or fava beans mashed, mixed with spices, rolled and fried into something like a small croquette.
Loved as a national dish across a wide area of the Middle East, including Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Israel, it is called "the king of Middle Eastern street food" in the English-speaking world. In the West, where vegan and vegetarian food culture is spreading, it has drawn even more attention in recent years as a meatless source of protein.
There are several theories on the origin of falafel, but a leading one holds that it was born in Alexandria, Egypt. History Today reports that Coptic Orthodox Christians first made it with fava beans as a protein-rich replacement for meat during the long fast of Lent. As it spread from the port city of Alexandria to the Levant along the Mediterranean coast, the main ingredient changed from fava beans to chickpeas, giving the falafel we know today. There are theories that the word "falafel" comes from the Arabic "filfil" (pepper) and that it comes from a Coptic phrase meaning "many beans," and even among food-culture researchers the question has not been settled.
With ingredients found at an ordinary supermarket you can re-create authentic falafel that is crisp outside, with a vivid green, fluffy and light interior. Set on the table with hummus, shakshuka and tabbouleh, your home turns at once into a Middle Eastern meze bar.
Ingredients (serves 4, about 20 pieces)
A detailed guide to choosing ingredients
Dried chickpeas are the foundation of falafel. Choose ones that are large and even, with no cracks or mold. Turkish and Indian are the mainstream, but the difference in taste by variety is not so large. Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place after purchase, they keep for over a year.
Parsley and cilantro are the leading players that make the inside of falafel a vivid green. Use both fresh, and use the leaves rather than the stems. If you dislike cilantro, you may replace all of it with parsley. Adding a little dill (about 5 g) is also a variation recommended by Lebanese chefs.
Spices: cumin and coriander are essential. If possible, dry-toast whole spices lightly in a frying pan and grind them in a mortar, which gives an aroma worlds apart from commercial powders. If short on time, powder is plenty.
The number one cause of falafel failure is using canned chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are already cooked and hold a lot of water, so even if you shape them, they fall apart the moment they hit the oil. Be sure to use dried chickpeas soaked overnight.
Dried chickpeas are sold at most supermarkets, Middle Eastern groceries and online. Buying in bulk online is more economical.
Nutrition and health benefits
Though vegan, falafel is a well-balanced food rich in protein and fiber. Every 100 g of chickpeas contains about 19 g protein, about 17 g fiber, about 6.2 mg iron and about 557 μg folate.
Though fried, the fiber and protein in chickpeas keep you full, so you tend to be satisfied with a small amount. Adding tahini sauce also supplies calcium and magnesium.
Four pieces of falafel (equivalent to one pita sandwich serving) come to about 480 kcal, about the same as one hamburger, but falafel is overwhelmingly better in plant protein, fiber and minerals.
Cooking tips
1. Don't boil the dried chickpeas: Soak only. Boiling makes too much moisture and they collapse. 2. Don't over-process in the food processor: Not a paste but a coarse texture. 3. Baking powder just before frying: Mixing it in right before frying maximizes the CO₂ bubbling and leaves the inside fluffy. 4. Hold the oil at 190°C: Too low and they absorb oil and turn soggy. Too high and only the outside burns while the inside stays raw. 5. Don't touch them just after they go in: A crust forms on the surface in the first 2 minutes. Touch them before then and they fall apart.
Just mix well 4 tbsp tahini, 2 tbsp lemon juice, half a clove of grated garlic, 3–4 tbsp water and 1/2 tsp salt. Adjust to the thickness you like with the amount of water. It is a magic sauce that raises the flavor of falafel by two levels. Adding water to tahini makes it stiffen at first, but if you keep stirring it turns smooth again. This phenomenon occurs as the fat of the tahini and the water emulsify, and if you keep stirring patiently it will always turn smooth.
Line a baking sheet with parchment, arrange the shaped falafel and spray the surface with olive oil. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 15 minutes, turn over and bake another 10 minutes. You won't get the crispness of frying, but it turns out plenty delicious. Calories come to about 60% of the fried version.
A vegetable oil with little character suits falafel. Canola, sunflower and rice bran oil are recommended. Sesame oil and olive oil have a low smoke point and their flavor interferes with the taste of the falafel itself, so they are unsuitable. After use, let the oil cool, strain it through a strainer and store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, and it can be reused 2–3 times.
Variations
Milder version: Just leave out the cayenne for a mild taste that even children can eat easily. Replacing the cilantro with parsley as well makes it suitable for everyone.
Egyptian style (ta'amiya): The traditional variation using dried fava beans instead of chickpeas. It has a moister texture than the chickpea version and is called "ta'amiya (طعمية)" in Egypt, where it is a breakfast staple. Using fava beans gives a deeper green color and a slightly sweeter, more delicate flavor.
Japanese-style variation: Mix chopped perilla (shiso) leaves into the dough and serve with yuzu kosho for a Japanese touch. Adding a small amount of edamame improves the color. It makes an excellent snack with beer.
Air fryer version: Cook at 180°C for 12 minutes, turning partway so it gets evenly crisp. It is a modern method that greatly reduces the amount of oil used. Spraying the surface with olive oil before cooking makes it crisper.
Extra-herby version: Doubling both the parsley and cilantro (40 g parsley, 20 g cilantro) makes the cross section a more vivid green and makes the herb flavor stand out.
Cheese-filled version: When shaping, tuck a small piece of feta into the center and wrap it. When fried, the cheese melts, and you get a surprise with the first bite.
Background of the dish: the "food territory dispute" around the Middle East
Falafel is both a dish and a symbol of the Middle East's complex politics and culture. Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt each claim that "falafel is our country's dish," and debate over who owns the food continues.
As a historical matter, the theory that the Egyptian fava bean version has the oldest origin is a leading one. In the process of spreading to the Levant (today's Lebanon, Syria and Palestine) the ingredient changed to chickpeas, and after the founding of Israel (1948), Jewish immigrants adopted the dish, so it also spread as an Israeli dish.
Falafel culture spreading around the world
Falafel has become a staple street food in major cities around the world. It has become a common sight at street stalls run by Middle Eastern immigrants and has steadily gained recognition.
As also touched on in the overview of Middle Eastern cuisine, Middle Eastern cooking is a treasury of food nurtured within cultural connections that cross borders. Falafel could be called its most familiar entrance.
FAQ
Fried falafel keeps 3 days refrigerated and 1 month frozen. To reheat, a toaster oven or oven at 180°C for 5 minutes best restores the crispness. Avoid the microwave, since the surface goes soggy.
Q. Can I freeze the falafel dough? Arrange the shaped pieces on a tray, and once frozen, move them to a freezer bag, where they keep for 1 month. When frying, don't thaw; put them into the oil frozen. Just add 1–2 minutes to the frying time.
Q. What if I don't have a food processor? A blender can substitute, but you need to process in small amounts. If the dough gets too smooth it falls apart easily, so be careful to keep it coarse with short pulses. You can also make it with a mortar or masher, but it takes considerable effort.
Q. Is it all right not to add flour? Authentic falafel has no flour. The natural starch of dried chickpeas works as the binder. Adding flour makes the density too high and gives a texture like "fried dumplings," losing the fluffy lightness inside.
Q. For those worried about allergies Falafel is a gluten-free recipe (no wheat), but commercial pita contains wheat. You can substitute lettuce wraps or gluten-free flatbread. For a sesame (tahini) allergy, a yogurt sauce instead of tahini sauce is recommended.
Q. My falafel falls apart in the oil. What is the cause? The most common cause is using canned chickpeas, or a dough that holds too much moisture. Use dried chickpeas, drain well after soaking, and rest in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before frying. If it still falls apart, adding 1 tbsp okonomiyaki flour (a Japanese pancake flour mix) to the dough stabilizes it (it departs from the authentic recipe, but is practical).
Q. What goes well as a side for falafel? Staples are tahini sauce, hummus, tabbouleh, pickles (especially turnip pickles) and a tomato and cucumber salad. Tucking it all into pita as a sandwich is the most popular way to eat it, but it also works fine as a salad bowl topping or as a side with rice. Serving it with kebab as a Middle Eastern grill plate is also standard, and a mixed plate of grilled lamb or chicken and falafel is a popular style in restaurants.
Q. Any tips for making a lot at once and freezing it? The method that takes the least space is to arrange the shaped dough on a tray lined with parchment, flash-freeze it and then gather it in a freezer bag. Freezing after frying is also possible, but the crispness on reheating is inferior to freshly fried from frozen dough. Shaping a batch on a day off and frying only what you need on weekdays is efficient.
Q. How many calories is falafel? One piece of falafel (about 30 g) is about 60 kcal. One pita sandwich serving (4–5 pieces of falafel plus vegetables and tahini sauce) comes to about 480–550 kcal. Oven-baked, it drops to about 35 kcal per piece.
Sources
- Suzy Karadsheh. "Easy Authentic Falafel Recipe: Step-by-Step." The Mediterranean Dish, 2025.
- Tori Avey. "Authentic Falafel Recipe (Step-By-Step Guide)." Tori Avey, 2025.
- "The Origin of Falafel." History Today, 2024.
- "Why Your Falafel Falls Apart: 5 Pro Tips." The Mediterranean Dish, 2025.
- "Falafel - Wikipedia." Wikipedia, 2026.
