Falafel with tahini sauce
Crisp, herb-fragranced falafel — deep-fried chickpea patties with a silky tahini sauce, perfect for wraps or a mezze spread.
Crisp, herby falafel are a Mediterranean stalwart — perfect for lunchboxes, a relaxed mezze or stuffed into flatbreads for a quick midweek treat. They look impressive but aren’t fussy: the key is using dried chickpeas soaked properly and giving the mix a coarse texture.
This version serves four and includes a simple tahini sauce. Make them for guests or batch-cook and freeze uncooked balls for speedy dinners later.
Ingredients
- 300 g dried chickpeas — for the falafel — soak 12 hours
- cold water — to cover chickpeas for soaking (about 5 cm above) and 60 ml used to loosen the sauce
- 1 brown onion — small, for the falafel
- 4 cloves garlic — 3 cloves for the falafel mix, 1 for the sauce
- 30 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 20 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 10 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
- 30 g plain flour — for binding
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 500 ml vegetable oil — for deep-frying; amount approximate depending on pan
- 75 g tahini — for the sauce
- 35 ml lemon juice — for the sauce (about 1 lemon)
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil — small drizzle for the sauce
- 5 ml sumac — optional, to sprinkle before serving
Equipment
- food processor
- deep-fat thermometer
- slotted spoon
- kitchen paper
Instructions
Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water by about 5 cm. Leave to soak in the fridge for 12 hours.
Drain the chickpeas well and pat dry using kitchen paper. Roughly chop the brown onion and add to a food processor with the chickpeas, 3 cloves of garlic, fresh parsley, fresh coriander, ground cumin, ground coriander, bicarbonate of soda, salt and black pepper. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture is coarse and holds together when pressed — you want fine crumbs with small pea-sized pieces, not a smooth paste.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the plain flour to help bind. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up — this makes shaping much easier.
Using wet hands, shape the mixture into small balls about 25 g each, or slightly flattened patties. Place on a plate while you heat the oil.
Pour the vegetable oil into a wide frying pan to a depth of about 4 cm and heat until it reaches 170–180°C (use a deep-fat thermometer). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small piece of the mix in — it should sizzle and rise steadily to the surface.
Fry the falafel in batches so they have room — about 4–6 at a time depending on pan size. Cook for 3–4 minutes per batch, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper.
Make the tahini sauce: in a small bowl whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, 1 crushed garlic clove and about 60 ml cold water to loosen. Add the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt; adjust water to reach a pourable, silky consistency.
Serve the hot falafel drizzled with tahini sauce and sprinkled with sumac (if using). These are brilliant in flatbread with salad, pickles and extra herbs.
Tips
- Always start with dried chickpeas soaked overnight — tinned chickpeas make a wet paste and produce greasy, dense falafel.
- Pulse the mix until coarse, not smooth: you should see tiny pea-sized pieces for the best texture.
- Chill the mixture before shaping; it firms up and reduces breakages when frying.
- Keep oil between 170–180°C. If it drops too low, remove the pan from the hob to recover temperature between batches.
- Make ahead: shape and freeze raw falafel on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Fry from frozen; add a minute or two to cooking time.
Substitutions
plain flour → gluten-free plain flour 30 g
Stays closevegetable oil → light olive oil 500 ml (for frying as directed)
Noticeably differenttahini → natural yoghurt 75 g (for a non-sesame sauce)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 550
- Calories
- 18 g
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use tinned chickpeas?
No — tinned chickpeas are too soft and produce a paste that fries into a dense, oily result. Always use dried chickpeas soaked for 12 hours for light, crisp falafel.
How do I know the oil is the right temperature?
Use a deep-fat thermometer — 170–180°C is ideal. Without one, drop in a small piece of mix: it should sizzle and rise steadily. If it browns almost instantly, the oil is too hot.
Can I bake them instead of frying?
Yes — brush or spray with oil and bake at 200°C fan/220°C conventional for 18–22 minutes, turning halfway. They will be drier and less crisp than deep-fried falafel.
How long do leftovers keep?
Cooked falafel keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven (200°C fan/220°C conventional) for 8–10 minutes to crisp up.
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