Crispy Pan Seared Falafel Recipes

PAN-FRIED FALAFEL

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a food processor; puree to a thick paste.
• Place onion, parsley, and garlic in the food processor; puree with chickpeas until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
• Whisk egg, cumin, coriander, salt, baking powder, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
• Stir egg mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil into chickpea mixture until well mixed.
• Slowly stir bread crumbs into chickpea mixture until it holds together but is not sticky. Adjust with more or less bread crumbs as needed.
• Form mixture into balls and flatten into small patties.
• Pour olive oil to 1 inch deep in a large cast iron skillet; place over medium-high heat.
• Fry patties in hot oil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECTLY CRISPY FALAFEL

Steps:

• Rinse the dried chickpeas then place into a large bowl and cover with cool water by about 4 inches. Cover and soak overnight or until the beans triple in size. Drain the soaked chickpeas, rinse, and then pat dry or add to a salad spinner to spin dry.
• Add chickpeas, scallions, garlic, herbs, salt, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne, black pepper, and the baking powder to a bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until very finely minced, but not pureed, scraping the bowl down as necessary. You should be able to press a handful together and have it hold it's shape (it will be loose and a little crumbly). See our video and photos above for reference.
• Transfer the falafel mix to a bowl and cover. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to help the balls hold together when cooking. If making ahead, you can refrigerate the mixture for a few days.
• Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of the falafel mix then gently shape it into a ball and place onto a clean plate. Repeat with as many falafel as you plan to cook. The mix will not act like dough, but will hold its shape. Watch the video to see how we do this. Optional step: As an extra fail-safe for preventing the balls from falling apart when they hit the oil, rest the falafel balls in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking.
• Add at least 3/4 inch of oil to a deep saucepan, cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. The smaller the pan, the less oil you will need. The wider the pan, the more falafel you can cook at one time).
• Turn the heat to medium-high and heat the oil to between 350 degrees and 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Fry the falafel in batches, placing them gently into the oil and without crowding in the pan, until they are browned on the bottom sides. Using two forks, carefully flip the falafel to brown the other side, 3 1/2 minutes to 4 minutes total.
• Transfer the cooked falafel to a plate lined with paper towel, sprinkle with a little salt, and then repeat with the remaining falafel balls. Serve immediately.

CRISPY PAN SEARED FALAFEL

Steps:

• Combine half the chickpeas, the onion, lemon juice, 4 teaspoons water, zucchini, cayenne, cumin, coriander, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add remaining chickpeas to processor, and pulse just until lumpy (should still have some texture), six to eight pulses. Stir into chickpea mixture. Stir in the herbs.
• Use your hands to pat the mixture into twelve 2-inch patties, each weighing about 1 1/2 ounces. Place each on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place skillet over medium heat, and cook 3 to 4 patties at a time, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer cooked patties to a heatproof plate to keep warm in a 200-degree oven, if necessary.
• To serve, toast pitas, and split them open. Arrange lettuce, tomato, and red-onion slices on each. Place two of the cooked patties on each pita. Sprinkle each with mint leaves. Serve with tzatziki.

HOW TO MAKE FALAFEL

Steps:

• (One day in advance) Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 18 hours (longer if the chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, drain the chickpeas completely and pat them dry.
• Add the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Run the food processor 40 seconds at a time until all is well combined forming a the falafel mixture.
• Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (up to one whole night) until ready to cook.
• Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and stir with a spoon.
• Scoop tablespoonfuls of the falafel mixture and form into patties (1/2 inch in thickness each). It helps to have wet hands as you form the patties.
• Fill a medium saucepan 3 inches up with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or so until crispy and medium brown on the outside. Avoid crowding the falafel in the saucepan, fry them in batches if necessary.
• Place the fried falafel patties in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Serve falafel hot next to other small plates; or assemble the falafel patties in pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato and cucumbers. Enjoy!

CRISPY PAN SEARED SALMON

Steps:

• Pat salmon dry on both sides and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.
• Make seasoning mix & season salmon. In small bowl, mix together the dry oregano, garlic powder and paprika. Season the flesh side of the fish with this spice mixture.
• Sear the Salmon. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add one salmon fillet, skin-side down, and press the top with the back of a fish spatula for about 10 seconds (this prevents the skin from curling up.) Add the remaining salmon fillets, one at a time, pressing each with the spatula for 10 seconds. Cook for about 4 minutes. If skin resists lifting (or if it's sticking to the pan), allow the fish to cook for a little bit longer until you are able to lift up easily (no more than 6 minutes in total). Using the spatula and a fork to assist in flipping, flip the fish to the flesh side to cook for about 15 seconds or so. ( Salmon is ready when it registers 110°F (43°C) in the very center for rare, 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare, or 130°F (54°C) for medium, 5 to 7 minutes total.)
• Remove salmon from heat and immediately add lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Make arugula salad. In a bowl, add the baby arugula. Season with salt and add juice of ½ lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Toss to combine.
• Serve salmon with arugula salad (or any of the sides or salads suggested in the post). Enjoy!

CRISPY OVEN BAKED FALAFEL

Steps:

• Prepare the mix. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In the food processor, pulse the parsley and cilantro 4 to 5 times to give a rough chop. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined and mostly smooth, some roughly chopped pieces are fine.
• Sit. Let the falafel mixture sit for 1 hour to thicken.
• Preheat. Heat the oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside. While the oven preheats, form the falafel patties.
• Roll 2 tablespoons of falafel mix into a ball then lightly press into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Place on the oiled sheet tray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully flipping half way through. Season with a sprinkle of salt immediately after baking.

SEARED FALAFEL BURGERS

Steps:

• For the falafels:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set a large pot of salted boiling water over high heat, and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the edamame and peas in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then immediately transfer to the ice bath. Drain and dry.
• Transfer the edamame and peas to the bowl of a food processor and add the flour, parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, chili flakes, baking powder, and salt. Pulse until smooth. The falafels should be the consistency of wet sand and keep their shape when you form some into a ball in your hand.
• Divide the falafel mix into 8 to 10 burgers, depending on your preferred size, then form into patties. Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the burgers are keeping their shape-don't worry about flipping them. This step can be done ahead of time.
• To make the Tahini Mayo:
• Combine the garlic mayo and tahini in a bowl. If the mixture is really thick, add a little cold water to loosen it.
• To serve:
• Heat the canola oil in a large pan over high heat. Fry the burgers for 1 to 2 minutes, until the surface is crispy, then flip and fry for another minute. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt to taste.
• Toast the brioche buns, making sure not to burn them, then spread Tahini Mayo on each side of the bun. Layer with a falafel burger, lettuce, tomatoes, turnips, and hot sauce to taste.