Easy Falafel Recipe (Gluten Free) - From My Bowl (2024)

FAQs

What is falafel made of gluten-free? ›

Traditionally, homemade falafel is made from a mixture of ground chickpeas and or fava beans, herbs, spices, baking soda, onions and garlic. These ingredients are naturally gluten-free, making falafel an excellent option for individuals avoiding gluten.

And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties. Just be sure you don't overwork the falafel batter.

Canned chickpeas do not work for falafel. They're far too wet. If you try to use canned chickpeas instead of dried and soaked chickpeas, you'll end up with sad falafel pancakes. Some recipes try to counteract the wetness by adding flour, which significantly dulls the flavor and makes the texture more doughy.

If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs. The falafel mixture after prepared can be shaped by hand or with a tool called an alb falafel (falafel mold).

Almond flour is an excellent alternative to have in your kitchen cupboard. It's easy to find in shops and commonly used in plenty of sweet and savoury dishes, including brownies, pancakes, puddings, cakes, falafel and more. Made from ground blanched almonds, it's high in protein, rich in fibre and gluten-free.

Your average store bought and restaurant falafel has both chickpea wheat flour in it, which makes it not gluten-free. The best bet is to make your own gluten-free falafel, and this recipe from Joy Food Sunshine fits the bill nicely. Please read the ingredient and nutrition label carefully.

Dried chickpeas (that have been soaked in water for 24 hours) are an important ingredient that will give your falafel the right consistency and taste. (Tip: I usually add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking water to help soften the dry chickpeas.)

Falafel will stick together when you follow the recipe and make sure they chill long enough. You should also scoop the balls of dough tightly and that will keep them in one piece.

There are three types of falafel--Traditional falafel, baked falafel and lemon falafel. “Where the traditional falafel is the basic fried falafel comprising a mix of chickpeas, onions, garlic, herbs and spices, baked falafels are made using fresh herbs in the chickpea mixture,” says Chef Sati from Ophelia.

What Is It? Aquafaba is the thick liquid that results from soaking or cooking legumes, such as chickpeas, in water for an extended period of time. It's the translucent viscous goop you probably rinse down the drain when you open a can of chickpeas.

What is the liquid from canned chickpeas called? ›

If you've ever opened canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) and strained off the chickpea water, then you've tipped some aquafaba down the sink! Aquafaba literally means "bean water", the brine that results from cooking legumes such as beans and chickpeas.

Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they should bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour or chickpea flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix.

Many recipes use egg or flour as a binding agent. I prefer to chill falafel instead, as it keeps them nice and airy with no added filler. Don't skip the chill! It's necessary to ensure they maintain their shape.

Its the deep frying in oil that should cook the beans. The moisture in the pre cooked beans make the falafels soggy and fall apart whereas frying the uncooked chickpeas makes them crispier.

Chickpea Flour: This helps to bind the mixture together and retain the shape while frying. I prefer chickpea flour (as it's more authentic), but you could use almost any flour you prefer. Baking Soda: This is a key ingredient for helping to provide the fluffy inside texture of the falafel.

Hummus is usually gluten-free, but not always. Traditional hummus is naturally gluten-free as are most brands such as Sabra Hummus. There are reports out there of certain brands either including flour in their hummus or just declaring that their hummus may contain wheat and/or is made on shared equipment.

Yes, gram flour is gluten-free. Gram flour, also called besan, garbanzo flour, or chickpea flour, is made from ground chickpeas, which are naturally gluten-free. Chickpeas also have many names, including garbanzo beans, garbanzo, gram, Bengal gram, Egyptian pea, cici beans, chi chi beans and cece beans.

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern “fast food” made of a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a small patties or balls. It's thought that falafel originated in Egypt as Coptic Christians looked for a hearty replacement for meat during long seasons of fasting or lent.