No-Gadget Falafel (Falafel without a Food Processor) Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How to make falafel if you don't have a food processor? ›

Add the shallot, parsley, and garlic to a blender and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the chickpeas, cumin, coriander, pepper, salt, flour, and olive oil and blend until combined, but still slightly chunky, 15–20 pulses, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.

Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they should bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour or chickpea flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix.

Canned chickpeas do not work for falafel. They're far too wet. If you try to use canned chickpeas instead of dried and soaked chickpeas, you'll end up with sad falafel pancakes. Some recipes try to counteract the wetness by adding flour, which significantly dulls the flavor and makes the texture more doughy.

A whisk or electric mixer

Sometimes, if we need to combine solids and liquids, some kind of whisk will easily do the trick. This idea works perfectly with Val's vegan chocolate mousse recipe; mixing silken tofu and maple syrup before folding in melted chocolate. Hey presto, the perfect mousse without a food processor.

No, a blender can't be used as a food processor because it needs a certain amount of liquid to run. Blenders also don't slice or shred with different blades, the way a food processor can. The two appliances can sometimes be used interchangeably, like if you're making certain sauces or dips, but generally not.

Tools like rolling pins, a masher or a mortar and pestle can be used to mash or puree soft ingredients like ripe fruit, or help you crush ice in a pinch. Keep in mind that blending or crushing ingredients by hand may be more time consuming and achieve less consistent results than appliance alternatives.

In short – yes! An immersion blender is a handheld blender with a small spinning blade that is immersed into ingredients to create smoothies, soups and sauces. A food processor has larger, flat blades at the bottom of the work bowl, or discs that sit at the top and can chop, shred, grind, puree and more.

The trouble you might encounter, the first time around, is getting the right consistency so that your falafel won't break apart as you drop it into the oil. A binding ingredient can help keep it together, especially if you are using canned beans instead of dried. And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour.

Dried chickpeas (that have been soaked in water for 24 hours) are an important ingredient that will give your falafel the right consistency and taste. (Tip: I usually add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking water to help soften the dry chickpeas.)

What are the 2 types of falafel? ›

There are three types of falafel--Traditional falafel, baked falafel and lemon falafel. “Where the traditional falafel is the basic fried falafel comprising a mix of chickpeas, onions, garlic, herbs and spices, baked falafels are made using fresh herbs in the chickpea mixture,” says Chef Sati from Ophelia.

Pan fry the falafel patties, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.

As you know Falafel is made from soaked raw chickpeas, which is indigestible to the human body causing stomach pain, gas, and other adverse symptoms. Raw chickpeas have antinutrients and toxins that can harm your digestive system, from discomfort to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Microwaving makes chickpeas easier to mash with a fork. Before mixing the ingredients, place the chickpeas in a microwave-safe bowl and heat them for about 30 seconds. Drain, but keep the liquid because you may need it in case your hummus is too thick. After mashing, add the tahini and all the remaining ingredients.

Mash chickpeas, 2 tablespoons reserved chickpea liquid, tahini, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder together in a bowl using a potato masher, adding more reserved liquid if desired, until hummus is desired consistency, 50 to 100 strokes.

Combine liquids and solids in a mixer.

Whether you're using a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or an immersion blender, your mixer can function as a useful substitute for a food processor. Just place the food into a large, durable bowl and lower in the mixer, then turn it on.

Here are some options: if you have a blender (cheaper than a food processor) you can do it in a blender. Some blenders come with an extra jar-shaped thing for grinding up herbs. A mortar and pestle is the old way that people would pulverize food before electrical kitchen appliances were invented.