Air Fryer Falafel

© 2025 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2025 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Falafel epitomises Middle Eastern cuisine like no other dish.The gluten free (without pitta) chickpea balls with a crispy exterior and a chunky, soft interior are a street food staple and always a huge hit. Many people are put off by deep-frying them at home. However, this can be quickly solved by preparing falafel in a air fryer.
Opinions differ as to how good falafel is made. Every nation in the Levant region has its own recipes and spices that they prefer. However, they all agree that the best falafel balls are not made from pre-cooked chickpeas. The grainy, chunky texture is crucial for achieving the best falafel, but if you use tinned chickpeas, they will be too dense, mushy and, in the worst case, very dry. You can shape them either in balls or patties if you want to stuff them in pitta pockets.

 

Falafel

Garlic Sauce

250 g chickpeas, soaked in water for approx. 12 hours, drained 30 g Flat parsley, finely chopped 1 Shallot, chopped 2 Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tbsp Rice or chickpea flour 1/3 tsp Baking soda 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds ½ tsp Cumin powder ½ tsp Coriander powder Chilli flakes, to taste 1 tsp salt Olive oil for airfryer Pita bread, to serve Lemon wedges, to serve Cucumber, cherry tomatoes and cooked chickpeas, to serve

100 g Greek yoghurt 150 g Crème fraîche 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 tbsp Dill, chopped ¼ tsp Sea salt Ground white pepper Lemon juice

1. Soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of water overnight. Then drain and rinse them thoroughly.
2. In a food processor or blender, add in soaked chickpeas, parsley, shallot and garlic. Process everything into a coarse mixture. Add the rice flour, baking soda, sesame, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes and salt and process until mixture comes together in a rough paste. It shouldn’t be completely smooth. Form small balls or flat balls from the mixture.
3. Shape the mixture into 20-22 walnut-sized balls with wet hands.
4. Spray the basket of your air fryer with some olive oil. Add half of the falafels or as many as you can into the basket without them touching and spray them with olive oil. Air fry the falafel at 180C/350F for 8 minutes. Flip and fry for another 5-7 minutes on the second side until they are golden brown and crispy.
5. Mix the Greek yoghurt and crème fraîche in a bowl. Stir in minced garlic and chopped dill. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice. Leave the garlic sauce to infuse for 15 minutes before using.
6. Serve the falafels with pita bread, garlic sauce, and salad or simply serve them with the dipping sauce.

© 2025 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2025 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com