Five simple ingredients: Authentic falafel made at home
Orly Plai-Bronstein shares a simple homemade falafel recipe, using just five ingredients. Serve it with tahini and a fresh vegetable salad, and you’ve got a nutritious, complete meal.
By IN COLLABORATION WITH SUGAT Authentic falafel made at home(photo credit: NIMROD SAUNDERS)
Hosting a lot of friends and kids and need to feed everyone? Probably yes. Missing that local falafel shop? We thought so. Orly Plai-Bronstein presents a simple homemade recipe, requiring only five ingredients, for the most delicious and authentic Israeli falafel. Serve it with tahini and a vegetable salad, and you've got yourself a complete and nutritious meal.
You can choose which falafel variation to prepare today:
Green Falafel: Add a bunch of parsley and/or cilantro.
Red Falafel: Use red schug and/or add 2 heaping tablespoons of sun-dried tomato spread or matbucha.
Yellow Falafel: Season with a tablespoon of hawaij, turmeric, or curry.
Orange Falafel: Add 3 tablespoons of sweet potato or pumpkin puree.
Purple Falafel: Add 2 tablespoons of beet puree.
Authentic Falafel Recipe
By: Orly Plai-Bronstein
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 8
Authentic falafel made at home (credit: NIMROD SAUNDERS)
1. Prepare the Mixture: Using a meat grinder or food processor, grind all ingredients until the mixture is uniform but still slightly grainy.
2. Adjust the Texture: Add 2-3 tablespoons of water if needed (less if adding vegetable puree). The trick here is to aim for a mixture that holds its shape but looks like it might fall apart. If it's too wet, the falafel balls will come out dense.
3. Heat the Oil: Heat oil for deep frying.
4. Form the Falafel Balls: Shape the mixture into falafel balls by hand or with a specialized falafel scoop, and fry at medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a strainer or absorbent paper.
5. Serve: Enjoy the falafel with pita, tahini, a green salad, and any other favorites.
