Delicious falafel is one of the most loved popular middle eastern dish. You will find it everywhere from malls in Mumbai to street food in Melbourne. It is world famous and has fans everywhere. You can serve them as a falafel bowl with salad, olives, pita bread and tzatziki sauce. Other ways of serving this is as falafel sandwich and wraps.
Best part is, it is vegan and can be made gluten free. It is not extra spicy to even kids can have it when they are outside. Also, it is rich in proteins due to chickpeas. Herbs make it look interesting and this way you can give kids more salad to go with the patty.
Air fryer has been a game changer for making snacks like these . Other air fryer snacks include air fryer spiral potatoes, air fryer pomegranate , air fryer peas, air fryer falafel and air fryer Christmas potatoes .
What is falafel?
It is a crunchy patty which is made with fresh herbs and ground chickpeas. We fry it in hot oil, when we make it the traditional way. Homemade falafel can be amazing too without the frying part and still retain the crunch of the original recipe. You can easily make this as falafel air fryer recipe.
Serving suggestion
You may eat this air fried falafel as it is or with some salad or bread. It actually reminds me of dal vada as both are made of garbanzo beans. You can also serve it with salad leaves, pickled onions cucumbers. Throw in some pita bread or make a falafel shawarma. Have it with zaatar, wraps or just plain sandwich buns. Add some hummus dip to it or baba ganoush.
Jump to:
Can I bake falafal mix instead of frying? Yes.
Baking or air frying is always healthier to deep frying frying. These patties are always easy snack for the tiffin. It is kid friendly ,vegan and super tasty. Baking them ensures you do not add junk calories. You can make this in advance on the weekend. School lunchboxes always need new ideas. Oven baked Falafel or air fry falafel is a great option. You may skip tahini sauce if you want to avoid nuts and seeds in the sandwich. Chickpeas are easy to cook. Both kids and elders love them. They are full of protein. Left over boiled chickpeas can be eaten as a salad. Bonus you get aquafaba 🙂
Ingredients
- chickpeas (soaked for 12 hours at least / 24 hours , change water if soaking more than 12 hours).
- chopped parsley
- chopped spinach or coriander
- chickpea flour or besan
- baking soda
- salt
- garlic
- green chili
- medium onion chopped
- Moroccan seasoning
- flax seed meal / chia seed meal(powdered chia seeds) for binding , optional.( it's required only if you find that the mixture has too much moisture and won't bind)
refer to recipe card for details.
Equipment
- Air-fryer
- pastry brush
- Cling film
- large bowl
- Parchment paper with holes / baking sheet
- Ice-cream scoop
How to make falafel in air fryer?
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor jar except chia seed meal.
- Pulse multiple times to combine the ingredients in a food processor.
Add chia seeds to the falafel mixture and mix well. Chia seed is optional, it's required only if you find that the mixture is too wet and won't bind.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour by covering with plastic film
Start scooping the mixture to make patties,You can use an ice cream scoop to make them of same size
Shape them into patties. Brush/spray oil on the air fryer falafel from mix.
- Preheat the air-fryer for 5 mins at 200 deg C(390F). Place the falafel patties in a single layer on a parchment paper with holes in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry @200C (390F) for 16-18 mins while brushing oil twice and flipping twice.
- You may bake them in a preheated oven @200C (390F) for 23-25 minutes while brushing oil twice and flipping twice.
Serve these golden brown air fryer chickpea patties warm.
Substitution
You can make easy falafel recipe with canned chickpeas too if you do not have time to soak dried chickpeas. Just use 3 cups of canned chickpeas after draining the water. Just use same recipe for air fryer falafel with canned chickpeas. You can also try baking falafel in oven too if you do not want to fry in the traditional way. Generally oven takes 30% more cooking time.
Falafel variations
You can also use fava beans, lima beans or great northern beans to make this recipe. You can also use red lentils or green moong to make it.
Storage
Crispy falafel can be stored in refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can also keep the falafel patties ready in freezer. Wrap the baking tray with a cling film. Air-fry immediately in a preheated air-fryer anytime you wish to eat them.
More Mediterranean recipes?
Falafel in air fryer | Airfryer falafel recipe
Equipment
- Airfryer
- pastry brush
- Cling film
- bowl
- Parchment paper with holes
- Ice-cream scoop
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea soaked for 12/24 hours. Yields 3 cups.(change water if soaking more than 12 hours)
- ¾ cup parsley
- ¾ cup spinach or coriander
- ¼ cup chickpea flour /besan
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1-2 medium green chilly
- ½ cup onions medium/ chopped
- 1 tbsp. Moroccan seasoning
- 1 tbsp. chia seed meal or powdered chia seeds for binding optional.
- 2 tablespoon oil for brushing the falafel
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor jar except chia seed meal.
- Pulse multiple times to combine the ingredients in a food processor.
- Add chia seeds and mix well. Chia seed is optional, it's required only if you find that the mixture is too wet and won't bind
- Refrigerate for 1 hour by covering with plastic cling film.
- Start scooping the mixture to make patties,You can use an ice cream scoop to make them of same size.
- Shape them into patties.Brush/spray oil on the patties
- Preheat the air-fryer for 5 mins at 200 deg C(390F). Place the falafel patties on a parchment paper with holes in the basket.
- Air fry @200C (390F) for 16-18 mins while brushing oil twice and flipping twice.You may bake them in a preheated oven @200C (390 degrees F) for 23-25 minutes while brushing oil twice and flipping twice.
- Serve fresh with salad, pickled onions/cucumbers, pita bread or buns & hummus dip
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
It is served on room temperature.
Felafel is deep fried chickpea patties made with herbs & spices. Mint, parsley ,dill usually make it green from inside.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C). Discard food if it smells rancid.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Conclusion: traditional falafel or frozen falafel both are great options for a healthy snack. Learn to make it for a special Mediterranean experience at home.
Please share your inputs..