Middle Eastern recipe

Levantine Chickpea Falafel

Name: Levantine Chickpea Falafel
Prep time: 12 h 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 13 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern cuisine
Ingredients: 300 g dried chickpeas, soaked in plenty of water; 70 g flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems; 35 g cilantro leaves and tender stems; 1 small yellow onion, quartered; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 5 g ground cumin; 5 g ground coriander; 5 g fine salt; 3 g baking powder; 1 L neutral oil for frying

Herb-heavy falafel starts with soaked dried chickpeas, parsley, cilantro and warm spices, then fries into crisp russet-brown balls with a tender green centre.

Levant, chickpea style

Prep: 12 hr 40 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 13 hr
Servings: 4

Crisp herb-flecked chickpea falafel balls with a green tender centre — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Miansari66Source page · Original file · CC0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

300 g
dried chickpeas, soaked in plenty of water
70 g
flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
35 g
cilantro leaves and tender stems
1
small yellow onion, quartered
4
garlic cloves, peeled
5 g
ground cumin
5 g
ground coriander
5 g
fine salt
3 g
baking powder
1 L
neutral oil for frying

Method

01
Soak the chickpeas
Cover the dried chickpeas with at least 5 cm of cool water and leave for 12 hours. Drain, rinse and spread on a clean towel until the surface is dry.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Pulse the herbs and aromatics
Pulse parsley, cilantro, onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, scraping the sides once so the herbs are even.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Grind the falafel mixture
Add the drained chickpeas, cumin, coriander and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse damp crumbs that hold together when pressed, not a smooth purée.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Rest and shape
Fold in baking powder, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls, pressing firmly so no cracks remain.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Heat the frying oil
Heat neutral oil in a deep pot to 175°C. Keep enough room above the oil for bubbling, and set a wire rack over a tray nearby.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Fry and drain
Fry a small test ball first, then cook the rest in uncrowded batches for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep brown and crisp. Drain on the rack.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Soak dried chickpeas until fully hydrated, then drain and dry them very well before grinding.
Fry one test ball first and adjust the mixture with a spoonful of flour only if it crumbles.

Common mistakes

Canned or cooked chickpeas are too soft and wet for the classic raw falafel mixture and can make it fall apart.
Crowding the pot drops the oil temperature and makes the crust greasy instead of crisp.

Substitutions

A mix of chickpeas and fava beans is traditional in several regional styles; keep the legumes soaked but uncooked.
For a lighter result, shape small patties and shallow-fry in a generous film of oil, turning once.

Storage

Cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C; use within 3 days and reheat until steaming throughout.

Cultural context

Chickpea falafel is common across much of the Levant, while Egyptian ta’ameya is often made with fava beans. This recipe deliberately follows the soaked-chickpea style and labels that choice rather than treating falafel as one fixed regional formula.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Falafel 1.JPG — Photograph by Miansari66; CC0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Middle Eastern recipes

Levantine Chickpea Falafel

Ingredients

Method

Soak the chickpeas

Pulse the herbs and aromatics

Grind the falafel mixture

Rest and shape

Heat the frying oil

Fry and drain

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

More Middle Eastern recipes

Creamy Hummus with Tahini

Lebanese Mujadara with Crispy Onions

Lebanese Tabbouleh