A twist on the classic falafel, these are less dry but still authentic falafels!
What makes a real falafel? Real falafels are made from raw chickpeas that have been soaked for 12 to 24 hours.
There are easy recipes that use canned chickpeas, but while these might look like falafels, they won’t have the same flavor!
This recipe is for zucchini chickpea falafels. Why add zucchini? While falafels are delicious, they can sometimes be a bit dry. Zucchini lightens them up considerably.
In this recipe, we used as much zucchini as chickpeas. The resulting mixture is quite moist, making the falafels a bit tricky to shape, but it works, and they won’t be dry.
The Recipe
Zucchini falafels
Ingredients
- 500 g soaked chickpeas approximately 250 g dried chickpeas
- 500 g zucchini
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 liter frying oil
- Sesame seeds or breadcrumbs optional
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpeas: the day before, soak the chickpeas in water.
- Prepare the zucchini: grate the zucchini, salt them, and let them drain in a colander while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Blend the chickpeas: in a food processor, combine the soaked chickpeas, garlic, and olive oil. Blend until you achieve a slightly coarse texture.
- Add onion and flour: peel and finely chop the onion. Add it to the chickpea mixture along with the flour. Mix well.
- Prepare the zucchini: squeeze the grated zucchini with your hands to remove as much water as possible.
- Combine: add the grated zucchini to the chickpea mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Rest the mixture: if possible, let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- Shape the falafels: heat the frying oil. Form the mixture into small, flattened patties, which are easier to make and cook faster than round falafel balls. For extra crunch, you can coat them in sesame seeds or breadcrumbs.
- Fry : fry the falafels in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.
- Cook: after 5 minutes, flip the falafels. Cook for another 5 minutes, then place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Serve: Serve hot with a yogurt dipping sauce.
These falafels can be made ahead and reheated before serving (either by frying or baking). They can also be frozen for later use.