Egyptian-Style Falafel Made with Fava Beans

Falafel is a big deal in New York City. So far, though, the only falafel I seemed to find was the Palestinian/Israeli version. I have yet to find a falafel cart/stand/joint that makes Egyptian-style falafel. Maybe it has something to do with the aversion some of us have to the mention of fava beans. We all know that Silence of the Lambs turned us off from all things fava-related. But, I think there needs to be a resurgence. Call me a fava activist, or something.

Sadly, but not surprisingly in this world we live; falafel has been the source of some controversy between Arabs and Jews. Palestinian Arabs believe Israeli Jews hijacked the fried balls of yumminess, and obviously the Jews disagree. Strangely enough, though, it was a Coptic Christian who taught me how to make Egyptian falafel. According to Abraham, his people were the first to make falafel in the world. Since they were the best falafel I’d ever had (even until this day), I have no reason to doubt him. Alas, the mystery of who created the falafel goes unsolved.

How do I prep the beans for Egyptian falafel?

Egyptian (fava bean) falafel is no more difficult to make than Israeli (chickpea) falafel. In fact, I find it’s easier to make the fava from scratch. All it takes to make the Egyptian version is boiling the beans. Simple. With chickpeas, you’d have to sort them, soak them, then par-boil them. Raise your hand if that sounds fun. Anyone? I didn’t think so.

Well, that is, after sorting through them. See that weird  little “thing” just to the left of my cute logo? That thing (whatever it is) needs to go. Stones are also found quite often in dried beans, hence the reason sorting through them is a must. If you come across any interlopers, just chuck them into the garbage bin and keep it moving. Once you’ve sorted through the beans, place them into a pot of water (the ratio of water to beans should be doubled). Then boil, reduce the heat and cook for a half-hour. Guess what? You’re done prepping the beans.

Thirty minutes to boil vs. twenty-four hours. That’s a no-brainer in my opinion. You can’t boil them any longer than thirty minutes because they’ll become mushy and won’t puree properly. I found out, the hard way, that your fava (or chickpeas) cannot be fully cooked when attempting this recipe. If they are they’ll, once again, go mushy on you and disintegrate into nothingness when you fry them. Your cooked fava beans should still be whole and should offer a bit of resistance when you attempt to smoosh them between your fingers. Now, we need to let the fava beans cool completely.

In the meantime, you can prep the rest of the ingredients for your falafel mix. Egyptian falafel is much the same as Palestinian, or Israeli, in terms of flavoring.

An IMPORTANT note about Egyptian falafel made with fava beans

Fava beans can cause a flare in those who have G6PD, which is a enzymatic deficiency. It can cause those who suffer from it to develop potentially severe anemia after eating fava beans. If you have been diagnosed with G6PD, you should not consume fava beans, and if you ever experience discomfort after eating them you should probably be tested for this genetic deficiency.

How to flavor Egyptian falafel

Garlic, is the first ingredient I add (after the cooled fava beans) because its the largest item (size-wise) apart from the beans. It needs extra time to break down so I add it first to get it closer to the blade. Add a bit of diced red onion for the same reason- it needs more time to break down.

Falafel is enticing enough to cause cultures to fight over it because of its powerful punch of flavor. This is a completely vegetarian recipe, yet bland and boring is the last thing it would be described as. I add cilantro, parsley, and mint to my Egyptian falafel because of the herbaceous oomph the blend gives it. If you can’t find one, or have one of those cilantro-aversions; leave it out and add more of another.

Add a teaspoon of this amazing Middle Eastern Spice Blend (MESB) to the bowl, and pulse until the mix resembles coarse sand in texture. Don’t have any MESB on hand? Make some! I put it to great use in recipes like this Tabbouleh, as well as in this Hummus. You’ll certainly get lots of use out of this spice blend ’round this joint.

What do I use to bind falafel?

Now to add the leavener that will make our falafel crispy and light- baking powder.

Follow that up with all-purpose flour. Keep more on hand, because falafel is a bit fickle. Use the called for amount and I’ll show you, in a minute, how to test to see if more is needed. Pulse this together until the mixture looks like sand.

The final ingredient for our Egyptian falafel paste is good ol’ H2O. I can honestly say, I don’t care a bit about the Periodic Table of Elements, but I have to fake like I do for the sake of producing well-rounded Twinkies. So, add your dihydrogen oxide to the mixture and pulse, once again. Your mixture should resemble a thick paste similar in appearance to a thick, dry peanut butter.

Here’s how to make sure your falafel mixture is the correct consistency. If you ball it up and it holds together without crumbling, it’s good to go. If you ball it up and it immediately falls apart, it’s too dry and needs a little bit more water. Add a tablespoon of water and pulse again. Then, do the ball test. If it’s still too dry, add more water and pulse again. Continue until you have the consistency pictured above. On the flipside, if the mixture is extremely sticky, you’ve added too much water and will need to add a bit more flour. If you’re uncertain because your mixture isn’t crumbling immediately, but it is a bit too dry, just continue on to the next step.

Transfer your falafel mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the mixture for a half, to one hour. This gives the falafel mix time to cool down and for the water to hydrate the mixture. This will help with that crumbling.

This is a great time to clean up any of the prep from mixing the dough, as well as get a pan of corn, or vegetable, oil on to heat for frying.

How do I form the Egyptian falafel?

Egyptian falafel vendors have a legitimate falafel-ball-thingamajig to scoop and form their falafel balls. I try to avoid buying kitchen tools that only serve one purpose, so I use a portion scoop instead. A cookie (#40) scoop is the perfect size for these falafel balls. Just scoop up a bit of mix, press it into the scoop to pack it and plop it into the palm of your hand. I like to flatten mine slightly for two reasons. The first reason I flatten my falafel out is to double-check that the mixture is indeed holding together well. If it’s still too dry, the mixture will crumble when I press it. If it does, I know to add more water. Once I get the thumbs up with a ball that holds together, I press it for the second reason: aesthetics. It just looks more authentic.

Scoop and flatten all the mix you can fit onto a plate or platter. Also, make sure you have a separate tray that’s been lined with paper towels to drain the cooked falafel when they come out of the oil.

How do I fry falafel?

When deep frying always test-fry a portion of what you’re working on. There’s nothing more disheartening than dropping six falafel into your oil to have them all disintegrate because they’re too loose; or, worse yet, do nothing. Yes, I’ve been the victim of oil that was too cold. The oil doesn’t bubble up around your food and when you pull it out, you’re left with a greasy, soggy abomination. One falafel will be the sacrificial lamb. It’ll be the litmus test to tell you if your oil is hot enough, too hot, or if the falafel needs more water or flour. The goal is to get a falafel that cooks, and rises to the top of your oil, in four to four-and-a- half minutes. A deep-fat fryer thermometer is a God-send when deep-frying. Your oil’s temp should hover between 350°-375°F.

And should look like this when you lift it out of the oil with your spider or slotted spoon. Drain it on the paper-towel lined dish you set up prior and if all looks, and tastes, well- start frying the rest.

Troubleshooting falafel mishaps:

Some adjustments:

• if your falafel disintegrates (falls apart) during frying, you need to add more flour. Start with a tablespoon at a time and retest.
• if your falafel is greasy or soggy (oozes grease when you squeeze it), your oil is too cold, or your pan is too crowded. Fry less falafel at a time, or heat the oil a bit more. Try to maintain the aforementioned frying temps at all times by not crowding the frying pan.
• if your falafel is cooking too fast (two minutes or less), your oil is too hot. Reduce the temperature and fry again.

How should I serve my Egyptian falafel?

Once all your falafel has been fried, serve it immediately. You can also store them in a storage container and reheat them in the oven on a foil-lined sheet pan. Heat for ten minutes at 350°F, or until warmed through. These falafel freeze amazingly well for up to two months once fried. Enjoy them with this Five Minute Tahini Sauce or on their own.

Pin this recipe to satisfy any of your future falafel cravings.

Egyptian Style Falafel Made with Fava Beans: Vegetarian and Vegan

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

4.9 from 25 votes

This fava bean based Middle Eastern snack is filling and appealing to carnivores and herbivores alike.

Servings: 8 servings

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb 4oz 20oz dried fava beans (about 3 1/2 cups) (not canned) I like Bob's Red Mill 
• 7 cups cold water
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• 1/4 cup red onion diced
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh mint roughly chopped
• 2 tsp Middle Eastern Spice Blend or 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp baking powder
• heavy pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour plus more as needed
• 3 tbsp of water plus more as needed
• corn or vegetable oil for frying

To serve:

• Thinned tahini sauce

Instructions 

• Sort through and rinse the fava beans. Place them into a large stock pot and cover with the water. Bring this to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the water is at a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Drain and cool the beans completely.
• Once the beans are completely cool, place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Add the garlic, red onion, cilantro, parsley, mint, and Middle Eastern Spice Blend (MESB) to the bowl, and pulse until the mix resembles a coarse sand in texture. Stop mixing and scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula.
• Add the baking powder, salt and flour. Use the first measurement of flour, only adding more if the mixture is too wet.
• Add the water to the mixture and pulse, once again. Your mixture should be a paste which resembles a thick, chunky peanut butter. If you ball it up and it holds together without crumbling, it's good to go. If you ball it up and it immediately falls apart, it's too dry and needs a little more water. Add a tablespoon of water and pulse again. Then, do the ball test. If it's still too dry, add more water and pulse again.
• Transfer your falafel mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the mixture for a half hour to one hour.
• In a large stockpot heat the oil to 350°-375°F. Scoop the falafel mix into your hand using a portion scoop, then flatten slightly. Scoop as much of the mix as you can fit onto a plate or platter. Separately, make sure you have a tray that's been lined with paper towels to drain the cooked falafel on when they come out of the oil.
• Fry four to five balls of falafel at a time for four to four-and-a- half minutes, or until they rise to the surface and are a deep brown color. Remove the balls from the oil using a slotted spoon. Drain them on the paper-towel lined dish. Continue frying until all are cooked.
• Once all your falafel has been fried, serve it immediately. You can also store in a storage container and reheat in the oven on a foil-lined sheet pan. Heat for ten minutes at 350°F, or until warmed through. These falafel freeze amazingly well for up to two months once fried. Enjoy them with this Five Minute Tahini Sauce or on their own.

Notes

Tips for success:

• if your falafel disintegrates (falls apart) during frying, you need to add more flour. Start by mixing in a tablespoon at a time and retest.
• if your falafel is greasy or soggy (oozes grease when you squeeze it), your oil is too cold, or your pan is too crowded. Fry less falafel at a time, or heat the oil a bit more. Try to maintain the aforementioned frying temps at all times by not crowding the frying pan.
• if your falafel is cooking too fast (two minutes or less), your oil is too hot. Reduce the temperature and fry again.

Course Mains

Cuisine Middle Eastern

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