Easy vegan falafel recipe | Jamie Oliver vegan recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why is my falafel not fluffy? ›

Falafel have to be crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy in the inside. They have to have enough fresh herbs and onion. Too much onion and your falafel will have a bad after taste. Too little and they won't be as moist and fluffy as they should be.

What are the ingredients? Traditionally, falafel is made from dried chickpeas and/or includes fava beans. I opted for a more simple version, using canned chickpeas so you don't have to wait for the chickpeas to soak overnight or worry about not being able to find ingredients.

The most common way to eat falafel is by putting it inside a pitta bread and adding tomatoes, cucumber and pickled onions before topping with hummus, tahini or a spicy sauce.

Yes! Falafel is considered vegan by almost any definition as these tasty fried chickpea balls are entirely plant-based. Sometimes, however, falafel is served with non-vegan additions like feta cheese or tzatziki sauce, both of which contain dairy.

Turns out that dried chickpeas are essential to good falafel. See, canned chickpeas have already been cooked. Starch molecules within them have already burst and released their sticky contents, much of which get washed away in the cooking liquid, leaving the remaining chickpeas with very little clinging power.

Baking soda and powder: Baking soda breaks down and softens the chickpeas as they soak. Baking powder, mixed in just before baking, makes the falafel light and airy. Fresh herbs: The tender leaves of parsley, dill, and cilantro bring fresh, herbal flavor and color.

I've used a mixture of chickpea flour and rice flour as a binder for my falafels. The chickplea flour is a binder, and the rice flour adds some crispyness. Neither affect the taste. chickpea flour, not cooked chickpeas, is the secret to really good falafel!

Because it's made with sesame seeds, which, of course, come from a plant and not an animal, tahini is vegan. It's as simple as that. That said, there are sometimes other ingredients, like oil and salt, added to the store-bought versions.

It's Trader Joe's, it's falafel and it's Vegan, what the hell, I guess I'll try it. You only live once! So right off the bat I notice the direction stating that the preferred method of cooking is the microwave. What?

Serve with hummus and tahini

Hummus is a classic falafel pairing that is traditional across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Egypt and Israel. Most traditional eateries serve hummus and falafel with a tahini sauce.

What does falafel do to the body? ›

Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish made from chickpeas or fava beans. Provides essential nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Health benefits may include weight management, heart health support, and management of anemia.

And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties. Just be sure you don't overwork the falafel batter.

Falafels and gyros are two very different types of food. Falafels are typically made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, while gyros are made from meat cooked on a spit. Falafels are usually served as a vegetarian option, while gyros are typically made with lamb or beef.

While, according to author Claudia Roden, falafel was “never specifically a Jewish dish” in Syria and Egypt, it was consumed by Syrian and Egyptian Jews, and was adopted in the diet of early Jewish immigrants to the Jewish communities of Ottoman Syria.

Breads, rice, and pasta are usually vegan, meaning you don't have to cut out your favorite carbohydrates to eat vegan! Vegetable oils, from olive to sunflower oil and more, are all part of a plant-based diet, making them easy for vegans to eat or cook with. Vegans also often eat dairy alternatives.

Don't pack your patties too tightly.

It's tempting to really pack the patties together tightly, but doing so will make them tough and dense. Form the falafel balls gently, and if your mixture isn't holding together, pulse it a bit more in the food processor until it sticks together.

If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs. The falafel mixture after prepared can be shaped by hand or with a tool called an alb falafel (falafel mold).

Traditional falafel is made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, herbs and spices. The mixture is then formed into balls or patties and deep fried for a texture that's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, sort of like a fritter.

A perfect falafel is the one that has a crispy exterior and a chunky interior. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you achieve the best results and make falafels like a pro. What beans to use ? You can make falafel with chickpeas or fava beans, or from a mixture of both chickpeas and fava beans.