falafel fell apart

RebelButtMunch

Hi.

First time I've tried to make falafel. Only one of my 10 pieces maintained their integrity.
My ingredients were a tin of chickpeas. Half an onion, spoon of flour, garlic herbs and spices. I blended them together and popped into a deep pan of sunflower oil.

Any tips?
Thanks

Tree

No egg? Egg as a binder is in most of the falafel recipes ive seen, can use gram flour if you need to dry t out a bit.

RebelButtMunch

No Egg. Good tip.

RebelButtMunch

Oh and they were also extremely oily. When I took them out of the oil a LOT of oil soaked into the kitchen towel. Is that a sign of the oil being too low?

partyatmygaff

Traditionally, they're not meant to contain eggs. Falafel are usually vegan.

Try the Egyptian recipe and use fava beans instead of chickpeas. Make sure you add enough oil.

Alun

As I understand it the reason why falafels fall apart without the egg to bind them is if you use chickpeas that are already cooked, which tinned chick peas are. So strictly speaking you should use dried chickpeas, soak them overnight, and use them like that.

CJhaughey

Make them and chill them in the fridge for a while before frying, this helps a lot with retaining integrity of the felafel.

Rosy Posy

Also better to use dry herbs than fresh as the fresh herbs release moisture as they cook which can cause them to fall apart. And make sure the oil is really hot. They are by their nature quite oily.

RebelButtMunch

Yep, the recipe called for dried then soaked peas and a stint of refrigeration. I thought I'd get away with it. I'll plan it better next time.

Alun

Yes, it's kind of counter-intuitive to not use cooked peas, as you'd imagine that if they were cooked they'd break down more when blitzed and stick together more. I guess some of the starch gets washed out of them when cooked or something though.

Animord

I came across this article the other day on how to cook the perfect falafel. It pretty much says what everyone here has said - uncooked, dried chickpea or try the broadbeans instead. It is worth reading if you are making your own.

the beer revolu

What Alun said.
Cooked chickpeas give a really mushy texture.
So much nicer with dried and soaked.

dipdip

This is my own recipe and it works perfectly. The measurements below serve two generously.

1 can chickpeas, drained, and draining liquid reserved
Juice of half a lemon
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
Light olive oil

Blend your chickpeas and onions to a paste using a food processor. If you don’t have one, try using a hand held blender. Fold in the rest of the ingredients to form a pliable paste. You may need to add some of the liquid from the chickpeas to make the mixture move as you wish.

Heat plenty of light olive oil (not extra virgin) (1/2 – 1 cm) in a heavy bottomed pan and heat. Dispense tablespoons of the mixture into the hot oil and cook gently for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and piping hot. Remove using a slotted spoon or spatula and drain on paper towel. You may need to prepare these patties in batches. Pop them in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remainder.

Serve in warm wraps or pitta breads. Good accompaniments include chopped tomatoes and onions, fresh leaves, hummus and tzatziki (cucumber with yoghurt, salt and mint). Some people (not me) also enjoy beetroot with it. Try not to fight over the last falafel. Nom!

the beer revolu

dipdip, I guarantee you, if you did a comparison, the same recipe with soaked, uncooked, dried chickpeas would be far nicer. I've done both.

dipdip

I've also done both. I feel it's not worth the time. I work long hours and can't be bothered with the faff, and I also dislike the smell of the long boil of pre-soaked beans when the cans are, in my opinion, equally good.

dipdip

Here's a picture of the end result - crisp on the outside, creamy and smooth on the inside.

the beer revolu

dipdip wrote: »

I've also done both. I feel it's not worth the time. I work long hours and can't be bothered with the faff, and I also dislike the smell of the long boil of pre-soaked beans when the cans are, in my opinion, equally good.

I think you're misunderstanding. You don't cook the chick peas - just soak them.
Falafel shouldn't be smooth and creamy - that's more like hummus. The texture of falafel should contrast with hummus.
But if you like them that way, carry on.

dipdip

I see. Fair enough. I've made them with a recipes that called for cooked chickpeas, and I've done the soaking/boiling thing.

Worth a try with the method you list, as it avoids the long boil.

Still, I'm very happy with my own recipe.

Minder

+1 for the soaked uncooked method. I made these many years ago using cooked chickpeas and they used to fizz in the hot oil, getting smaller and smaller as bits broke off. I tried all manner of additions to the recipe, but it wasn't until i re-read it that i realised that the recipe never said to boil the chickpeas first.

tellmeaboutit

I had a hard time at first with falafel too.
The proper way is to use soaked chickpeas (however I also make lovely cakes with cooked chickpeas but they are totally different in flavor and texture).
I use a lot of fresh parsley in my falafel so its a little wet which makes it fall apart even more easily.
What works for me:
I refrigerate the mix so that its very cold - either before or after I make the patties/balls (or both if I have the time!).
Then I make sure to use a small pan with enough oil to reach at least halfway to 2/3 the way up the side of my patties. When the oil is hot enough (medium to medium-high heat) drop in the falafel a few at a time so they are not touching each other.
Then do not touch or move them - leave them sit frying in the oil until you can see the sides turn golden brown.
This firms up the bottom and sides and ensures that they will not fall apart when you flip them.