Authentic Vegan Falafel
Tayeb Habib, born in Mozambique in 1954, is father of 3 and grandfather of 6. His main interests are history, science and engineering, and of course food.
Falafel, a vegan recipe from Middle-East, are spicy patties made from beans that are seasoned and shallow-fried. Serve with vegan tahini sauce or (non-vegan) yogurt-tahini sauce. Falafel make an excellent sandwich served on fresh pita bread with tomato and cucumber.
Bear in mind that this recipe needs to be started the day before serving, as the dried beans for the falafel need to be soaked overnight.Dry chickpeas, that have been soaked in water for 24 hours will give you the best texture and flavor, and help the patties to hold their shape.
- Servings 35 patties
Ingredients
For the falafel:
- 227 grams (1/2 pound) skinless dried broad fava beans, soaked overnight
- 227 grams (1/2 pound) dried chick peas, soaked overnight
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 6 large scallions, finely chopped
- Half a hot pepper, finely chopped or ground
- 237 ml (1 cup) finely chopped parsley
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) baking soda
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) salt
- 7.5 ml (1 1/2 teaspoons) ground cumin
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground coriander
- .5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For tahini-yogurt sauce:
- 237 ml (1 cup) yogurt
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) tahini
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, or as needed
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) ground cumin
For vegan tahini sauce:
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) tahini
- Salt, as needed
- Garlic powder, as needed
Preparation
- For the falafel: After soaking the beans and chick peas overnight, drain and rinse them using cold water. Remove and discard the skins of the beans. Pound or grind the beans, or put through the food processor, minced to very fine. Add the garlic , onions, scallions, and hot pepper; mix well.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cumin, corander, and black pepper. Mix well, then pound or process into a paste. Cover and let stand at room temperature one and a half hours. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce(s).
3. For the tahini-yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Add cumin and adjust lemon juice as needed. Cover and refrigerate.
4. For the vegan tahini sauce: In a small bowl, combine the tahini with just enough water for your preferred consistency. Season with salt and garlic powder to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Taking about 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of the mixture at a time, form into patties about 4 cm (1 ½ inches) in diameter. Let the patties rest another 15 minutes.
6. Place a large skillet over medium medium and add enough oil to skim the bottom. When the oil is shimmering, add the patties and fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot.
