Vegan Garbanzo Flour Falafel
My personal vegan garbanzo flour falafel? It’s really straight forward. Living in Berlin, an Arab center in Germany, there is falafel on literally every street corner. I would even dare to say it’s Berlin’s number one street food. For a few months into my vegan diet journey, falafel was my one and only take-out dish.
WHAT IS FALAFEL?
Falafel is originally a popular Middle Eastern “street food.” They are patties or balls that just happen to be vegan. Falafels are made of chickpeas (or fava beans) and heaps of fresh herbs–typically parsley and/or cilantro, garlic, and typical Middle Eastern spices such as cumin and coriander. For an authentic taste experience, you should not skip the spices.
The legend says falafel were invented in Egypt some thousand years ago. Egypt’s Coptic Christians came up with these little patties as a replacement for meat during long seasons of fasting such as lent.
I know very little about what daily street food life in the Middle East looks nowadays but at least in Berlin, Falafel continues to be the people’s daily grub. There is a vendor in almost every street corner and in certain districts of Berlin it’s even more than that. Falafels are mainly served as a fully stuffed falafel sandwiches with a generous drizzle of tahini (link to my blog) and loads salad such as Couscous. When I make falafel at home I prefer Ksir (link to my blog) as a side.
This Falafel recipe requires very little equipment:
- Measuring cups such as Klee Utensils 10-Piece Colorful Stainless Steel Measuring Cups (affiliate link)
- Food processor such as KitchenAid KFP0718CU 7-Cup Food Processor (affiliate link)
- Ice cream spoon such as Ice Cream Scoops
- My favorite food container Prep Naturals Glass Meal Prep Containers (affiliate link) or
- Freezer-friendly bags such as Glad Food Storage and Freezer 2 in 1 Zipper Bags (affiliate link)
Depending on where you live, you might not find the following ingredients readily available at your local store. I recommend Amazon for the following ingredients:
- Garbanzo flour (affiliate link)
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #theveganprepper. I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Vegan Garbanzo Flour Falafel
Ingredients
- 1½ cups garbanzo flour
- ½-1 cup water depends on your flour
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp baking soda
- ½ tbsp ground cumin
- ¼ tbsp salt
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 tbsp ground cilantro
- dash of cardamom
- pepper
- 1-2 handful parsley freshly chopped or frozen
Instructions
On Prep Day
- Add all the dry ingredients including the garlic to a large mixing boil and combine. Then add parsley, water (starting with half a cup) and oil and combine using a wooden spoon.
- Let sit for 10 minutes. Then check the consistency of the batter. You're not looking for a moldable dough. If that is not yet the case, you should add more water. Be aware that garbanzo flours differs greatly to other kinds of flour.
If you want to freeze the falafel, use an ice cream spoon to form balls as good as possible and freeze.*
On Eat Day
- Add half an inch of frying oil to a frying pan and put over high heat. Once hot, turn to medium heat. Put your falafel (either from the freezer or by placing an ice cream spoon full of batter into the pan.
- Fry falafel for 1-2 minutes on each side until the start to turn slightly brown. Then take out and place on a kitchen paper to let excessive oil drip off.
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