Discovering the Delicious Taste of Falafel: A Flavorful Guide to the Famous Middle Eastern Dish
Falafel is a famous food found all around middle east countries. Falafel will be a must-try food if you visit Egypt, Syria, or Lebanon. Try making this at home as well. Before that, here’s the answer if you don’t know what Falafel tastes like.
Falafel is a deep-fried dish that tastes similar to savory donuts. It gives a crispy texture along with a herby taste inside. The best thing about this dish is that vegetarians and non-vegetarians love its taste. It is entirely plant-based. But you can also serve it with various non-vegan appetizers.
So, let’s know a little bit more about Falafel. You can make it with a few simple steps. Whichever way you follow to make this dish, the taste will be similar.
What Does Falafel Taste Like?
Falafel is enriched with a lot of flavors. It gives crunchiness with every bit. You will get a savory and grainy flavor in it. If you can enjoy it fresh, falafel will provide a more delicious taste.
Taste
In whichever way you prepare Falafel, it will taste the same. It is crispy outside and grainy inside. It gives an earthy and herby taste with every bite.
All over, this will give a mildly spicy, savory flavor. If you like deep-fried quick snacks, Falafel might taste fabulous to you. Because of the herbs, you will get a taste of freshness here. And, because of spices, you’ll get a mild yet unique flavor.
Texture
As Falafel is a deep-fried dish, it will be crispy outside. When you eat, you will feel that crunchy texture with every bite.
And inside, this has a grainy texture. You’ll undoubtedly feel its softer texture when you give it a bite. And, if you’re using fava beans, this will provide a denser consistency.
If you don’t fry the Falafel well, it will have a more oily and greasy texture.
What Ingredients Are In Falafel? Are All Falafels Vegan?
Falafel is a deep-fried ball/ patties. So, with a few common ingredients, you can make some tasty falafel anytime. These will be perfect as your evening snacks.
The ingredients include a lot of dried chickpeas or fava beans. The best thing is, here, they forbid you to use canned chickpeas. This adds a fresh flavor to the Falafel.
Traditional falafel recipes use bunches of fresh herbs (coriander, mint, cumin, parsley). These herbs altogether give a unique freshness with every bite. If you use some extra herbs, the Falafel will look greener.
Also, which spices you’re using will make a big difference. Generally, they use cinnamon, chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. You can add a bit of onion and garlic for a traditional flavor. And the lemon would make your falafel smell fresh and more delicious.
As you’re going to fry this deep, you need some baking soda and heaty oil.
Moreover, Falafel is a versatile dish. So, you can add some other ingredients as well.
What Do You Eat with Falafel?
Falafel is served with a lot of side dishes. But, traditionally, Falafel includes hummus, lemon dip, salads, pitta, and cheese. You can add both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to complement your Falafel.
Falafel with Hummus and Tahini sauce
They love eating Falafel with human and tahini sauce in Israel. This sauce includes a lot of ingredients and makes a paste of it. You’ll taste tahini paste, garlic, lemon, and other spices here. This compliments Falafel well.
Falafel with cheese
If you’re a cheese lover, you can try Falafel with a different type of cheese. Traditionally. Falafel tastes best with sesame-based tahini, yogurt, and creamy sheep cheese.
Falafel with salads/ Grilled veggies
If you want to keep your falafel light, add some fresh salads/ grilled veggies. If you want to avoid oil, go for fresh salads like cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, hummus, and olives. For a grilled vegetable side dish, you can try mushrooms, broccoli, sweet potato, and others.
What Does Falafel Smell Like?
Falafel will mostly smell like herbs. It includes a lot of aromatic herbs. Because of those, when you fry it, this will give a soothing herby smell. And if you add lemon, this also can add a freshness of lemon to its smell.
The main reason for this herby smell is mint, coriander, and parsley. And, if you add a lot of garlic, this will give a different scent to your Falafel.
And other spices like pepper and chili powders give a mild but sharp smell when you fry them.
These smells altogether make Falafel more delicious and mouthwatering.
How Do You Make Falafel At Home?
You can make Falafel in many ways; Some love it to bake, whereas the traditional recipe requires deep fry. This is relatively easy and instant to make if you’re trying to make Falafel for the first time and want the real taste of it.
Try out this recipe:
Step 1: Get Some Dried Chickpeas
You need to soak some chickpeas in the water for 24 hours. For better consistency, add some baking soda to the water. This will make your chickpeas look bigger and better.
Step 2: Mix The Chickpeas
After they’re soaked and look double the previous size, you can mix them together. Now, you can add all the fresh aromatic herbs here. For a better taste, you can add a few drops of lemon juice to it. Don’t forget to add spices, garlic, and onion to make the Falafel crispier and tastier. Mix all the ingredients well.
Step 3: Wait To Set The Mixture
Now, give the mixture some time to sit. The best thing is to refrigerate the mixture in a bowl for one hour. Well, some also prefer keeping it overnight.
Step 4: Shape Them
Now, give the mixture a ball shape. Traditional Falafel is meant to be ball-shaped. This gets easier while you deep fry it. The balls should look fluffy and soft.
Step 5: Deep Fry And Serve
Now, get a hot pan, and pour your preferred oil into it. The last step would be deep frying the falafel balls well. Make sure you’re keeping the flame medium to high. This will keep the falafel good in shape and texture.
Once you’re done, serve it with your favorite sauce/dip or salad items.
What’s The Best Way to serve Falafel?
Falafel is an ideal meal or snack item. You can serve Falafel with many side dishes. However, they must be served hot and fresh. Cold Falafel will not give you the same taste.
You can serve Falafel for breakfast as well. For that, you must add some light appetizers to it. Also, it’s not necessary to make Falafel in a ball shape. You can make another shape too. This might attract your children, and you can serve them as a quick snack.
If you want to make it a little heavy, serve Falafel with cheese and grilled vegetables. This will make the perfect lunch for your family.
And, if you want to serve Falafel for dinner, make it a little bit fancy. Some prefer baking falafel cake rather than deep frying it in a small ball shape. Baked Falafel will be a fantastic dinner option any day.
Is Falafel Healthy Enough?
Falafel is filled with herbs that help you to curb your appetite. Falafel can be the tastiest yet healthiest snack if you make it suitable. You can even prepare it dairy-free and gluten-free by adding ingredients regarding your needs. If you know which ingredient to use in which amount, it will be a good source of micronutrients, protein, and fiber.
But it is also considered junk food. If you’re not allowed to intake deep-fried food, you can consider making them by baking. Baking makes Falafel healthier.
The health benefits of eating Falafel:
- Falafel can help to gain weight. As it is enriched with calories, it will provide fat content.
- Falafel has various types of herbs. These all together make it healthy for maintaining blood sugar.
- Intaking herbs can make you safe from various chronic diseases.
- Falafel includes chickpeas. And chickpeas are also known as a superfood. It has high fiber, protein, vitamin C, zinc, copper, and other nutrients.
- Falafel can provide a lot of vitamins to your body.
Let’s give check on the nutrients value of this tasty dish:
| Nutrition Facts | Nutrition Value (100 gram) |
| Calories | 333 |
| Fat | 17.8 grams |
| Protein | 13.3 grams |
| Carbs | 31.8 grams |
| Fiber | 4.9 grams |
| Copper | 29% of the daily value |
| magnesium | 30% of the daily value |
| Vitamin B6 | 94% of the daily value |
What Are The Substitutes For Falafel
If you’re not a fan of falafel for some reason, you can go for some substitute dishes. They might give you a similar taste. And surprisingly. All of them are pretty easy to make.
Check out the substitute for falafel here:
How to Store Falafel?- The Right Way
Falafel should be eaten fresh. But if you’ve some leftover falafel, you would hate throwing them out. Please don’t waste it. Instead, you can store your falafel for up to 5 days.
Storage of Post-Fryed Falafel
To store it, get a new container. Now, fill it with your leftover falafel. If you’ve made them into a falling shape, you can use a paper towel to wrap each one. This will keep them separate and away from sticking one over another. And you can just keep them in the refrigerator by sealing the container.
Storage of Pre-Fryed Falafel
If you want to store the falafel mixture, it is also possible. It would help you on your busy days Then. You just need to get them out of the refrigerator, give them shape and fry them. The falafel mixture can stay fresh in the fridge for a few days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is falafel not vegan?
Yes, falafel is an entirely vegan dish. It includes all the fresh plant-based ingredients. But, if you’re using some cheese in it, they can consist of dairy. But there are also some substitutes for dairy cheese, like feta cheese.
Can you eat falafel cold?
Eating falafel cold is never a good idea. This tastes 100 times better when you serve them hot and fresh. However, if you’re carrying them for a picnic, you can try them cold.
Can you bake falafel instead of deep frying it?
Yes, people who avoid deep-fried dishes can bake falafel. Baked falafel tastes mouth-watering. While making that, you don’t need to make any ball shape. You can take the entire falafel mixture and bake it for 25 minutes. It will give a deep golden color on the upper side.
Last Words
Falafel, “fried chickpea,” is an excellent plant-based dish. It is beneficial for your weight-gain diet and is a powerhouse of protein. The best thing about falafel is you can try it in many ways with many side dishes.
Its versatility made falafel a worldwide popular dish. But trying out the traditional falafel would be a must. However, if you have an allergic issue with any traditional falafel ingredients, try using some alternatives there.
