Lebanese Chickpea Falafel Recipe – Healthy Non Fried Recipe by Archana’s Kitchen

To begin making the Lebanese Chickpea Falafel Recipe, prepare all the ingredients and keep them ready.

Soak the chickpeas for about 8 hours/ overnight. 

Drain all the water from the soaked chickpeas. 

Combine all the ingredients, including the soaked chickpeas except the oil in a food processor. Do not add any water to make this falafel batter. It needs to be thick, the salt added will slowly release moisture. 

A food processor really helps in giving a better falafel batter. If you are using a mixer grinder, grind them in small batches. 

Blend to make a coarse paste. Divide the falafel batter into small portions of the size of a ping pong ball and flatten them slightly.

Check the salt and adjust accordingly.

I use a Kuzhi Paniyaram Pan pan to fry the falafels and the result is very similar to the deep fried ones.

Add a teaspoon of oil into each of the cavities, place the shaped falafel into the cavities and pan fry them until it is crisp and browned on both sides. Add a few more drops of oil when you flip over to fry them on the other side.

This will help in getting the even color for the falafels.

You can alternatively, pan fry the falafels if you do not have a paniyaram pan. Drizzle oil over a non-stick skillet/ pan / tawa. Place the shaped falafels on the pan leaving a few inch distance between each falafel.

Flip and cook the falafels on both sides by drizzling a little more oil on the top if required. Cook the falafels until they are dark golden brown and crisp on both sides.

If you are deep frying them; heat oil for deep frying and deep fry these falafels until browned evenly on all sides.

Serve the Lebanese Chickpea Falafel is had along with a Tabbouleh Salad, Pita Bread and  Hummus.