¼cupice cold water to thin the dressingadd more if needed
Instructions
Prepare Falafel Batter (Makes 12 X 2-inch patties)
Soak the dried chickpeas in 1½ cups water mixed in with ⅛ teaspoon baking soda overnight. Rinse and drain thoroughly. Transfer to the food processor jar.
Add onion chunks, herbs, spices, garlic, lemon juice, and baking powder. Now pulse everything to a coarse-to-semifine consistency, scraping the sides in between.
Check for consistency by binding a teaspoon of the mixture. If it doesn’t hold together, add 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs or almond flour, until it holds its shape. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove the mix from the refrigerator to form patties. Take a tablespoon of mixture in your palm, press, and shape it into a patty. Form all patties and keep them aside on a plate.
Cook Falafel ONE of two ways
Air Fryer Falafel
Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF. Gently spray the air fryer basket and place the falafel patties in a single layer, keeping enough space between them. Spray the top of the patties as well. Air fry for 10 minutes.
Pull out the basket, flip the patties and lightly spray with cooking spray, then cook another 7-9 minutes, or until golden brown. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do this in two batches.
Pan-Fried Falafel
Heat about 1-inch of olive oil in a deep fry pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add falafels to the pan without overcrowding the pan.
Fry for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and fry them for another 3-4 minutes, until they turn brown and crisp on the outside. Remove and place them on a kitchen-towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
Prepare Dressing
In a small bowl, combine tahini, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, grated garlic, and ice-cold water. Use a whisk to combine until the dressing is smooth and of drizzling consistency. Add more water if needed to thin out the dressing to your liking.
Assemble Falafel Salad
To a large bowl, add mixed greens, chopped cucumber, tomato, olives, and radish. Top with 3-4 falafels. Now drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of dressing and toss everything. Check for taste and add more dressing as needed.
Video
Notes
Use dried chickpeas. I definitely recommend starting with dried chickpeas for the best texture of falafel.
Chill the falafel mixture. The colder mixture forms more easily into patties. If it's too warm, it may be crumbly.
Preheat the air fryer. If you start the patties in a cold air fryer, the outside may burn before the inside is cooked all the way through. Always preheat!
Size evenly. As you form the falafel, make sure they're relatively similar in size so they cook at the same rate.
If your falafel patties aren't holding their shape, add 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs at a time until they do. Use almond flour for a gluten-free option.
Dressing: Use ice cold water and start with the amount of water in the recipe. To thin out the dressing to your desired consistency, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates based on 3 X 2-inch falafel patties per serving. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.