Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce

I like the fact that this uses canned chickpeas.. as it's easy to prepare. However, both times I've made it, the falafels have fallen apart in the oil. I recommend doing a test falafel... and if it falls apart, just add another egg. I would use very little bread crumbs, if any. Another scary problem is that the baking powder (which may be a typo.. as every other falafel recipe I know uses baking soda), cause the oil to bubble up/foam... one batch it foamed over creating a fire hazard on my stove. As for the sauce, I didn't use the dill, but I added two cloves of finely chopped garlic. The second time I left out the mayo and didn't miss it at all. All in all, this is a good base... but be wary of the falling apart and foaming issues.

I had to make a few alterations... this recipe would best be used as a "guide" for making falafel. First - DOUBLE the recipe! The mixture will hold for a few days in the refrigerator and also freezes well - especially important for busy individuals/families. Mashing the chickpeas by hand is very important for texture/consistency. I used 2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas and it took less than 5 minutes to mash by hand - so it's not as laborious as others have stated. My best recommendation: Use a generous handful each of fresh parsley and cilantro for great flavor. The seasoning measurements are perfect. DO NOT use egg or breadcrumbs, use flour instead. You will need approximate 4-8 tablespoons - start with 4 T and add additional flour as needed until you are able to form a small ball and it doesn't stick to your hands. I recommend test frying one ball (or disk); if it falls apart you must add more flour. It is also highly recommended to refrigerate the mixture for a few hours to allow the flavors to mingle. I typically make the mixture the night before or the morning of - and fry in the evening for a quick fix meal. These can be baked but are must tastier fried! Fry in 2-3 inches of oil at 375 degrees. Traditionally falafel is served with a tahina sauce - but I much prefer using homemade Tzatziki instead (made with strained yogurt, strained shredded cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill). MMMM delicious!

What a great recipe! I completely disagree that it's laborious to crush chickpeas - I used canned organic ones and it was the easiest part. I would say the whole thing is a bit labor-intensive so do it on a slow night, but TOTALLY worth it. I can't cook at all and I still managed to make this perfectly. I followed the first reviewer's great suggestions to roll the balls in bread crumbs and to bake (at 425 degrees, 20 minutes then flip then another 8 minutes) instead of fry. I also replaced the baking powder with baking soda. Finally, I skipped the dill weed and used a sprinkle of coriander on the cucumber sauce and it turned out delicious.

Both my husband & I like falafels, and thought this was a good recipe. I made a few changes, most note worthy would be warming the beans in the microwave for a minute 1st so they mash quicker and only using 2/3 cup of bread crumbs. I will make this again.

This was good with a few changes. I left out the egg, used 3 cloves of garlic, fresh cilantro and add hot sauce. To cut back on the fat and time i also baked my falafels. For all thoses that found that it made it dry heres what i do: I soak some stale bread in some milk, squeeze out the excess and then kneed into the mix. then let it sit for an hour or until i get home from work. With damp hands shape into balls and put on a sheet brushed with olives oil. I bake at 425 for 15 minutes on one side and 10 on the other, the outside was crispy and the inside was moist. Tasty, healthy, easy and quick to make!!!

Best falafel ever!!! Very tasty... I just made another batch. This time I omitted the salt since the canned chickpeas already have enough salt in them. The prepared mixture keeps well in the frigde for a few days, so you don't have to fry it all at once. To cut back on the mess and the fat, I used the George Foreman grill instead of the deep fryer. Just use some of the spray oil, and the patties still come out moist and golden brown. Thanks for sharing!!

Great Falafel recipe! To cut down on the fat, I used Egg Beaters, only 2 TSP olive oil, browned the patties in a skillet with Olive Oil Flavored PAM and then baked them at 400 for 30 minutes. For the sauce, I used fat free sour cream and eliminated the mayo. Thank you for the recipe!!

Everyone loved this recipe, even those who had never heard of falafel. Best I've ever had- very fresh tasting. Next time I will add more garlic and make more than 8 balls. The smaller ones were better and more cooked all the way through.

After reading such rave reviews, I found myself very disappointed with this recipe. The mixture should sit for a while prior to cooking, 30 min. to several hours, to develop more flavor. Also, the patties totally fell apart when we tried to cook them. This is such a healthy recipe before it gets deep fried. Falafel is just as good cooked in a skillet with a light amount of oil. The main problem I had was with the cucumber sauce. REAL Tzatziki is so much more delicious and worth the effort. Start with plain greek yogurt. Or, strain plain lowfat yogurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter overnight in the fridge. Next, chop up a seeded but not peeled 1/2 English (seedless) cucumber and toss with 1 t. salt. Drain in a colander over a bowl 1 hr. at room temp. or 8 hours in fridge. Then squeeze out liquid and pat dry and add to strained yogurt. Mash 2 chopped garlic cloves to a paste with 1/2 t. salt. Add to yogurt. Toss in 1 T. chopped fresh mint or dill, 1 T EVOO, 1/2 t. red wine vinegar, and some ground black pepper. Stir, cover, refrigerate 2-4 hours. Enjoy chilled or at room temp.

Incredibly easy for such a nice meal. I first blended the parsley, garlic, and onion in the food processor, then I added the garbanzo beans right in and processed until they were the right consistency. Certainly saved a lot of mashing. I made about 20 small patties and baked them as other reviewers have suggested. The kitchen smelled amazing! Left out the cucumber sauce and instead served with tomato, cucumber, lettuce, and hummus in warm pitas for an easy -- if not messy -- high protein vegetarian meal.

We enjoyed this recipe and loved the sauce. I did have a difficult time with the patties breaking up in the oil but with reading other reviewers suggestions I will try again.

These were fantastic! I was nervous making them for our guests because they regularly make falafal, but they said their boxed mix didn't even compare to this recipe. I made a double batch and froze half the dough--we'll see in a few weeks how it holds up. I will definately put this in my rotation of dinners. I didn't change a thing on the recipe, but next time I may try baking as others have suggested to cut down on the calories. 7/31 UPDATE: I used the rest of the falafel dough about a month after I froze it and it tasted as good as the first time. From now on I will always make a double batch and freeze half the dough to be used later.

Very nice falafel recipe - I have my own tzatziki recipe. I followed all the falafel ingredients and steps as written, then baked (15 min @ 425, flipped for another 10, then flipped back and broiled until nicely brown) instead of fried. I leveled the mixture into my 16 scoop and it made 10 patties. Really great flavor. Frying would make them even better. It's going into the 'do again' list.

I haven't eaten a lot of falafels in my life, so I don't really have anything to compare these to, but I thought they were delicious. Very easy to make and they were still good the next day!

Loved the recipe gave it the ol' 4 star cause I used a seperate cucumber sauce, one without mayonaise

I used baking soda instead of baking powder, and it came out perfectly. Many people are suggesting baking instead of frying here, but I tried both and FRYING produced the best flavor hands down. I say leave the baking for other things, heat up the olive oil, and allow yourself to enjoy these falafel as they're meant to be enjoyed! (On that same note, someone suggested rolling the falafel in bread crumbs before baking, but that just made it taste dry and bready, so I'm going to suggest not doing that.) The seasoning combo in this recipe is perfect, the final product rivals the delicious falafel at my favorite restaurant! Other recipes say to use only dry chickpeas, as canned will be too wet and not hold together, but the breadcrumbs seemed to do the trick (although 1 cup really wasn't enough, I probably had to add about 3)! Thank you, Sean!

Loved it! As others did, I baked the falafels instead of frying them. Worked great. (425 for 20 min. on one side, then flipped and baked 10 min. more.) I also made smaller falafels (maybe 15 patties instead of 8). Omitted mayo from tzatziki sauce, and it tasted good. It was a simple sauce, but that's all the dish needed. Will definitely make this again!

The first few times I made this recipe I followed it exactly and found that I needed to use more oil then necessary in order to have the falafel hold together in the pan. I started to experiment after that and now instead of mashing the chickpeas, I put the can of them in the food processor with the onion, garlic and parsley, a little bit of the liquid from the can and some lemon juice and blend until fairly smooth. I then combine the egg and spices, add to the mix with bread crumbs then I roll the falafel into balls. I preheat my deep fryer on the highest setting and then deep fry the balls until golden brown. The end result, they end up less oily and the inside of the ball is a light, fluffy texture - my fiance loved the change and I always make them this way now!

REALLY good, but I have nothing to compare them to since I'd never had falafel before =) Had them on a whole wheat pita, with Chili-Lime Chicken from this site. Looking forward to having it for leftovers. Kind of reminded me of a veggie burger, but more moist. Will definitely go in the dinner rotation. (Only fried them in a spritz of olive oil.)

I made these as written, except that I added more cumin because I could not find corriander in my area. I do not own a food processor, so I finely chopped the veggies. I mashed the beans by hand but left some chunkiness. I was very happy with the texture. They made nice patties and held together. I thought the flavor was a little lacking (bland). The falafel I've had in restaurants was much more dramatic in it's flavoring. The sauce, however, was excellent. I do not think I'll make these again, although I may use the sauce a lot.

This was a great recipe, but being a cook, I needed to tweek it a bit. For the cucumber sauce I used nonfat yogurt, 2 cloves fresh garlic, non fat sour cream, and lowfat mayo, I increased the dill weed and used splenda as a sweetner. It gave the sauce a very distinctive flavor. The measurments are to taste, so don't be bound by "exact meausurements." Actually, the sauce tasted like the sauce served with gyros.

LESS FATTENING (far more nutritious) and ANTI CANDIDA DIET acceptable, I did NOT fry, but baked in oven @ 400 (approx 30 mins). They actually taste much better! I substituted 3/4 C quinoa flour and 1/4 buckwheat flour for breadcrumbs. For the dill sauce, I substituted plain Kefir for the yogurt, I did not use mayo and added 1 T. chia seeds to thicken. If you are on an anti-candida diet, you can forget the pita, cut a wide slice of avocado, and layer on lettuce, crumbled falafel, diced tomatoes, and dill sauce. Store the falafels in a storage bag. So, thanks Sean. It was a great recipe for me to be able to eat on my Candida diet.

Great recipe! Needed about half the bread crumbs and added extra garlic. Also, I used a double batch of the sauce to go with the falafel since it was so tasty. Like others, I baked in the oven at 400 degrees for twenty minutes (ten on each side). Making again next week!

Very tasty and easy. One note - if deep frying, be sure to form the dough into balls, not patties. Patties tend to fall apart in the oil, while balls hold their shape perfectly.

Only changes: I used baking soda instead of powder, a suggested by other reviewers, used far less bread crumbs, and added chili paste to the falafel "batter" to increase the spice. This recipe is absolutely AWESOME. One of my all-time favorites from allrecipes. I have made this at least half a dozen times since discovering it a few months ago, and it is always a huge hit. The tzatziki sauce is SO YUMMY. I serve these in warm pita bread with chopped lettuce, tomato, chili paste, pickled beets and some of the leftover parsley. Even the big meat eaters in the family love it when we have "falafel night." This recipe is a keeper- I know I will be making it for years to come!

o0o0o0o Myyyy God! D-E-L-C-I-O-U-S !!!

This recipe is fantastic. I baked half and fried half - I prefer them baked because for me its easier to cook them evenly, but both ways work. My dough seemed a little dry so I added an extra egg and used only half the salt. Made the following changes to the sauce: Suibstituted soy yogurt,used 2 and a half tblspns mayonaise, 2 tspns lemon juice and a little over 2 tablespoons **fresh** chopped dill (all to taste really. You'll never miss the dairy. I dipped the hot patties straight in the sauce...but for sandwhiches tomorrow I will put them on toasted whole wheat sour dough bread and stuff them with the sauce, parsely, mint tomatoe. YUM!!

This was very good! I have never had falafel before and my husband was a bit concerned when I said I was going to make it! He was wondering where the meat was! But WOW! We both liked this alot! I served them in pitas with the sauce(which was yummy!) and tomatoes! I made 12 total falafel. Because I dont like to fry things, I greased a pan with EVOO and baked at 450 for 20 min total(flipping after 10min)! They were perfect! As my husband said...this recipe is a keeper!

Instead of deep frying, we baked the falafel in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes per side. Very tasty!

I did not add the mayo to the cucumber sauce which I made first to meld the flavors. I did not fry my falafels instead I baked them at 425 for about 18 minutes, then flipped them for another 5 to finish them off. I tossed some salad greens (and purples) with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper and placed it on the plate. Topped the salad with about a teaspoon of feta cheese and placed the falafels on top and topped those with the cucumber sauce. Served with some nice juicy tomato slices... Mmmmmm... Falafel Heaven!!! :)

I was very disappointed in this recipe. As soon as we put it into the frying pan, the patties just crumbled.

This was DELISH! I added some sesame seeds and used italian breadcrumbs but left everything else the same. Sooooo good. Better than what I have bought.

Thanks Sean - this was delicious- i had my husband mash up the chickpeas then added the rest of the ingredients except the bread crumbs, then just added and mixed till the texture was right. They held together fine. First batch browned quick! Watch your oil temp. Love the sauce too.

They turned out perfectly! I chilled the mixture for about 30 minutes before frying it so it could "solidify"...it was fantastic and easy!

O.K. I waited tell I make this several times because I had some problems with the Falafel falling apart like a lot of you did. I found that if you put it in the frig. and get it cold it cooks wonderfully. I made the recipe just as written but did have to add more bread crumbs but the recipes says add more or less. Thanks Sean for the post. Love this recipe.

Wow! Definitely restaurant quality! This was really great...I was having a falafel craving and I decided to make these. I took the canned garbanzos and took two sandwich bags to put on my hands and smushed the beans between my fingers. I thought that this technique made the texture interesting. Followed the seasoning amounts to a T and used about 2 T more olive oil than called for. Used 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs to get the right moldable consistency. The other 1/4 cup I spread on a plate to hold the patties and "kebab" shapes I made. Then I lightly rolled or flipped so the outside had a crumb coating as well. This made for a great uniform crust after frying. Next time I will definitely try making the cucumber sauce and try to broil the patties (so I can enjoy them more often!). Thanks so much for sharing!

An excellent falafel recipe!! My son is allergic to eggs, so I omitted them and added a handful of flour instead. Friends of mine who've made this with the egg also needed to add flour to make them stick together better.

My husband makes the best falafel ever. He makes a large batch and then divide it into quort size freezer ziplocks. He lays them out flat untill they freeze and then moves them to the door. this way we always have the mix ready to be fried.also we enjoy it in pita with tahini and Israeli dalad which is made with cucambers,tomatoes lettuce, pickles or for that matter any vegetable that you have on hand.The key is to cut it very very small and to add olive oil, salt pepper and lemon juice.

Really good recipe. I used the food processor to chop the onion, parsley, and garlic and added the chickpeas and pulsed until they were chopped. The texture was perfect. I also had to omit the cumin and coriander..didn't have those as I don't care for them and don't keep them stocked. I used a spice blend that had both included in it, however. I also upped the cayenne a bit. I used 2 slices of whole-wheat bread, processed until finely ground. I omitted the mayo from the sauce and served the falafel and sauce with fresh tomatoes on greek flatbread. Very yummy...I'll be making again soon and regularly!

I baked these to be healthier (450 F for 15 min., flipped them, another 15 min.) and had to omit the coriander as I did not have any in the house..and this is STILL the best falafel I have ever had! I don't have a food processor so I did everything by hand. I didn't use the recipe for the cucumber sauce so I can't comment on that.

I really enjoyed making these and the sauce was out of this world! My son and I went to a Greek resturant and had falfel--I KNEW I could make them better and I did with the help of this recipe. Even though the recipes says not to use the blender, I used the food processor and it came out very good. Mine did fall apart but I do not think that was due to the food processor. I think mine were too moist and I needed one more egg. I did not use canned garbanzos. I made them from scratch. Delicious!

This is really good! My whole family loved the falafel. Wasn't super font of the tsaziki though. However, I used fat free greek yogurt and I think I might go for 2% next time.

This basic recipe was good but was a little bland for falafel. For my next batch, I added more cumin and added a pinch of garlic powder that gave it more of an authentic taste (at least it tasted more like how falafel should taste.) I'll definitely make this again with my adjustments.

/gasp! SALTY! I followed Sean's recipe exactly except I used 1/2 the breadcrumbs, & baked at 375 deg. for 35-40 min. flipping once. These would've been mouth-watering-ly-perfect had the recipe not called for 1 tsp. salt. (or that much breadcrumb?) Maybe my family & I have a weaker tolerance for salt, but wow, the flavors in these falafel were to die for ... but alas, they were drowned in a salty sea.

This is a great recipe! To make the beans easier to mash, before I drain the can, I boil the beans for about three minutes. I then drain out the liquid and mash the beans. It makes them softer and easire to mash. I made falafel hummus wraps with whole wheat wraps, tomatoes and a yogurt dill sauce. Very filling. Yum!

This was good, but has a lot of moisture in it and therefore needs a lot more than 1 cup of bread crumbs to keep it together. I don't think the tablespoon of olive oil is necessary nor possibly the egg. My first batch just fell apart in the oil. I had to add a lot more bread crumbs to keep the shape. Other than that, the flavor was nice. I doubled the garlic because we like things garlicky around here. Also the sauce was very good.

I love this recipe it is the one I base mine off of. No one can say anything negative when I make these!

Delicious. Use a food processor instead of a blender for the garlic, parsley and onions. I baked the falafel about 9-10 minutes on each side. I also added a little lemon juice to the yogurt sauce to make it thinner. I used lowfat yogurt and mayo to make it a little healthier. I used the falafels in a salad. I will definitely be making this again.

Yummy, I baked them instead of frying according to one reviewers suggestion. 400 degrees, 10 minutes, flip, another 10 minutes. I will make these again.

I like to pulse partially cooked chickpeas in my food processor so they aren't too mushy for the mixture. I also use a piece of day old bread rather than bread crumbs. I agree with Muslim Mom that baking powder must be a typo, because I have always used baking soda. If your mixture is not holding together, add a little water and then flatten the balls into patties. I didn't use this sauce because I make my own tahini dressing. Typically, we put the diced cucumbers, diced super fresh tomatoes and some of the dressing in the pita before adding the falafel, then add more dressing, if desired. Heating the pita in the microwave helps give the pita bread a nice chewy, distinctive flavor. I hate a dry pita. ETA: I also never deep fry these. Usually quickly pan fry and finish in the oven or bake and broil in the oven. Both ways are good!

Love this!!! I have never made the sauce, but I make the falafel all the time without changing a thing. I actually do broil them about 4-5 minutes on each side instead of frying though. I serve them on whole wheat buns with cheddar cheese, avocado, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and a little mayo. My husbands favorite dinner!

This was probably the best falafel I've ever had. I wasn't expecting it to be this good. Here's what I did that may have made a difference (or not): I used the cheapest canned chickpeas. When I blended the onion, garlic & parsley, I threw in the egg so that it had enough liquid to blend. Finally, I (hang head) used extra-virgin olive oil to fry them (only about 1/4" though). Delicious. No, simply incredible. Didn't make the sauce, but I'd leave out the mayo & strain the yogurt for 15 min or so in a coffee filter - huge improvement I find.

I followed the recipe exactly as written except that I used gluten free breadcrumbs. It was a complete disaster. I wish I could upload a picture to show what a disaster it was. They completely fell apart in the oil and ended up just being falafel crumbles. I was so sad!

These were really good! I liked them quite a bit better though when I added some roughly chopped onion; I liked the extra crunch.

I will use this recipe again. To cut back on the fat content, I baked mine. After making the patties, I placed them on a foil-lined baking sheet (sprayed with PAM) and put them in a 425 oven for 20 minutes then turned them over for another 8-10 minutes. They browned nicely and held together just fine. Also, I used a food processor to chop the chickpeas, removed them, and then combined the onion, parsley, garlic, and egg in the food processor together, before adding the other ingredients to the mixture in a bowl. The texture was just right for me.

Yum! If you enjoy falafel try these at home...I added an additional egg white to the mixture because the first couple starting falling apart in the oil; the egg white helped bind the patties together.

fantastic! i did as others suggested and baked them, they came out great. used baking soda instead of baking powder. next time i may use a little less salt. i also put some garlic in the cucumber sauce. we rolled them in whole wheat lavash with hummus spread on it. thx!

INCREDIBLE!! At first I wasn't sure how it was going to come out after tasting the mix before cooking it, but it came out delicous! I browned it on both sides with PAM and then baked it in the oven at 400 for 25 min (like an earlier review suggested) Then I put two patties into a pita pocket, smeared some of the cucumber sauce into the pita with the patties and sprinked some diced tomatoes into it also, it was so delicious! The sauce really makes it awesome. Thanks so much for the great recipe - this is one I will be making again and again :)

This is the best falafel recipe that I have ever used. I have made it a few times now and every time I make it, I make a larger quantity because it is never enough! Today I tripled the recipe so we'll see. I cook my own beans and grind the coriander which I think adds to the flavor and I also bake it for health reasons but other than that, I follow the recipe exactly (and I never do that)! You have to try this recipe! Thanks so much for this. It's my husbands favorite. Even my 2 year old eats them right out of the oven. :)

The flavors are great, but the consistency of the batter is hard to get right. I make the falafels much smaller than this recipe recommends because they seem to hold their shape better while frying than the bigger falafels do.

Absolutely great! We didn't make the cucumber sauce, because we don't like it as a rule, so the 5 stars are for the burgers themselves.

I didn't make the cucumber sauce, as I used a store bought version I love, but the falafel is excellent and not nearly as difficult to make as I'd thought. It made for a great and much more interesting Ash Wednesday dinner.

I liked it a lot! It was tasty but a bit dry, so next time I'll skip the bread crumbs..! Also, I didn't try the sauce, but instead I served them with same fresh tomato chunky sauce and plain greek yogurt! My husband loved them! So, it's 4.5/5 for us!

This recipe is fantastic. I did the ingredients exactly, but mashed the chickpeas in the food processor, and they came out perfect. I used a different recipe for the cucumber sauce.

Rating for the falafel only - I used a different tzatziki sauce. It was moist and flavorful, and did not fall apart at all. I had to add nearly double the bread crumbs to make it "not sticky", however, which was weird for me... but perhaps it's an issue of humidity where I live, I don't know. I also baked at 400degrees for 20 minutes, then flipped and baked another 15 minutes. They were wonderful.

Delicious!! Only made a couple changes; did not have bread crumbs so used multi-grain cracker crumbs instead, green onions in place of regular onion, added some chive to cucumber sauce and used thin multi-grain sandwich buns instead of pita because that is what we had. Will definitely be making again!

Good! Tastes just like the expensive store bought imported mix I had been buying. My picky kids ate it all up. I omitted the flour/breadcrumbs and it was just fine.

These are absolutely amazing! This is one of my favorite recipes on this site. I've used Sean's recipe for years, and just tried making them vegan. I used ener-g egg replacer with the falafel instead of eggs, and I used a combination of plain silk yogurt and vegan sour cream for the cucumber sauce. They were definitely a crowd pleaser. Thanks again Sean!

We loved it! I used ready made OPA Feta and Dill yogurt dressing instead of making my own yogurt sauce and it was perfect.

Delicious! The only things I changed was adding some green onion (I only had half of a regular onion on hand), I didn't have any corriander so I used a Mrs. Dash spice blend that had corriander in it, and I baked them at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them occasionally until golden brown on both sides. They came out great! I didn't make the sauce because I don't like cucumber and didn't have yougurt. Will make again. UPDATE: I just had four of the patties (roughly 2-3 in in diameter) for lunch with the Whole Wheat Wrap (recipe found on this site) and I'm STUFFED and satisfied. They are delicious and healthy and filling. What more can you ask for?

The falafel was great, and I've used the recipe several times to great success. The tzatziki wasn't as good, though. It lacks an acid bite, and doesn't call for garlic. I prefer Ina Garten's recipe instead, using thick Greek yogourt.

Delicious! All of my past experiences with falafel were that it was really dry. Fresh out of the fryer (although not very healthy) was terrifically yummy. We had ours in pitas with the sauce, tomatoes and fresh parsley. (The sauce really ties it together.) Originally mine fell apart during frying, but separating them in half (making 16 instead of 8) kept most of them together.

crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. i followed the directions for the falafels exactly, except, i rolled them in bread crumbs before cooking them, this gave them that extra outer crunch. also, i baked them instead of frying. i did not use any extra oil, simply used parchment paper in the oven for 20 - 25 mins at 400 (half way through, i flipped them over). you'll love these. enjoy!

Six Stars! I love this recipe! Warning though! It's so good, that it might just ruin your favorite restaurant Falafel! I love adding a little extra cumin for an added kick. I also do mix the chick peas in my food processor, I prefer the smoother texture that it creates. All in all an A+++ recipe!

DElicious!!!!! I'm in LOVE thank you so much. This can compete with any restaurant BY FAR!!!

This was an awesome recipe! I followed the falafel recipe to a T, except my only change was to add half the amount of bread crumbs. I made them into smaller patties (about 1 and a half tablespoons with a cookie scooper!) and baked them. I ended up with about 24 patties and baked them at 425 for 15 minutes on each side. I made my own tzatziki sauce and this was so good in a pita with red onion, lettuce, tomato and the tzatziki. I will use this recipe over and over again, thank you!

These were fantastic! I had to add another egg because they weren't sticking together and I baked them instead of frying

I made the falafel without the cucumber sauce and it came out great! My mom is prone to heartburn and sensitive to certain spices, so I left out the cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper, but it was still flavorful without them. I substituted matzo meal for bread crumbs and only needed 1/2 cup. As for the chickpeas, I microwaved them for 1 minute and then mashed with my fingers. This is the first falafel recipe I have tried that has actually managed to hold itself together! My brother complained that they were patties rather than balls, but that's okay because they tasted great and I suspect that leaving them in ball form would have left the inside uncooked and the outside burned. Thanks for the recipe!

yummy!

Very delicious and easy to make. I have made these twice, once baked and once fried. Both ways are great. I also added a bit more lemon juice than the recipe calls for.

This turned out really yum.i baked as suggested by heavensnt86.thanks a lot.i wouldn't change anything in this recipe..doesn't need it . thanks

I recipe is good but it turns out that we don't like falafel. I was just trying something new. Thanks!

My first falafel, it was soo good. I added my Cajun seasoning mix to it (pepper/paprika/oregano/sage/garlic powder/cayenne) and it was most delicious! Will make again and again!

I made these following recipe to a "T" except used half onion because the only onions I had were huge and they were yummy! Why people are substituting baking powder for the baking soda I don't know, if you know anything about baking these two leavening agents are NOT interchangeable. Also why anyone would need 3 cups of breadcrumbs to get these to stick together is beyond me, unless they are not draining the chickpeas. I could barely get 1 cup mixed in without being too dry. The sauce was great too. Served in pita bread with lettuce and tomato. Will definitely make again.

Not only is this recipe absolutely simple, it's delicious too! Even though the recipe doesn't recommend adding the beans to the food processor, it's okay if you do. I've tried both ways and find that processing the beans with the onion/parsley/garlic mixture is not only a lot faster, but gives the same results. You may have to add a bit more breadcrumbs in the end, though. In the sauce, I add a touch of lemon juice, vinegar and cayenne pepper to give it some zing. I serve the falafels with pita, sliced cucumber, tomato wedges and sauce. Absolutely adored by everyone, and I make, on average, once a week.

The flavour of these falafel was spot on, but the texture was a bit off and they fell apart a bit during cooking. I think about half the breadcrumbs would be more correct and I will do this in future.

This was pretty bad. I followed the recipe exactly except I baked it, which would account for the dryness, but not the taste and texture, which were both pretty awful. Maybe it was the breadcrumbs I used.

USE FLOUR INSTEAD OF bread crumbs!! Like others, when I used bread crumbs, it fell apart in the oil - using about 1/4 cup of flour in the place of the bread crumbs gives it a great solution, firms it up some, and definitely keeps it stuck together. If you don't know the temperature of the oil, just start at mid/low (4 out of 10) and go up from there. This recipe makes about 12 balls slightly smaller than ping pong balls. I also used fresh cilantro in place of the ground coriander, and used dried parsley instead of fresh (just had that on hand) - turned out perfect. I have served on pita like a gyro, but also have served with a yogurt/avocado/cilantro dressing as an appetizer. They are good now matter how you serve them! Great recipe!

Excellent! I would definitely make this again.

This was a really great recipe! I was looking for a good falafel recipe after having some while I was at a festival, and they were exceedingly dry, leaving me with a craving for a good falafel. I used dry parsley, simply because that's what I had, and halved the amount of cumin because I was worried about too strong of a cumin flavour, but next time I would definitely put the full amount in. I would like to try baking them as well, to reduce the fat.

I followed the recipe exactly up until the frying part. I formed the balls, pressed them into a patty, put them on a baking sheet fitted with a cookie rack (so air can go underneath). You do not need to flip them and they did not fall apart. They are drier when you don't fry but it is an option for people who don't want to eat too much fried food.

The most colorful falafel I've ever eaten! Don't overdo those breadcrumbs because that's all you'll taste. Sauce fantastic.

This is a FANTASTIC falafel recipe. It's quite easy to make, yet comes out looking and tasting amazing. The falafel isn't too dense, and it has great flavor and texture. I added some garlic, fresh dill, and fresh mint to the yogurt sauce (and I used fat-free strained Greek yogurt), and the whole thing added up to a delicious meal. I had some leftover mix, which I covered with Press 'n Seal and stored in the fridge overnight. The next day I made another batch, and it was even better than the day before! Thanks for sharing.

We were rushing at night so we used the processor to mix up everything. It turned out very light and smooth. We added baking powder and plain flour to make it to be able to stand with the bread crumbs. At the end, it turned out so crispy and smooth inside which is well done :) superb!

I ignore the directions and mix this way: Throw 2/3 can chickpeas into the blender with the onion, garlic, two tablespoons peanut butter, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. Puree. In a large bowl, mash the remaining third chickpeas into a rough mash with a potato masher/squisher. Add the seasonings, baking powder, egg and stir to combine. Dump in the puree'd stuff and then mix well. Add bread crumbs until mix is on the stiff side (think caulk/spackle) and not sticky to the touch. I use a #40 cookie scoop to portion and then pat into little flat patties (instead of the traditional ball shape) and then fry in oil. I use about 1/4C olive oil for the whole batch and they come out crispy, not soggy with oil.

Oh my lord...after years of dry, hard, boxed mix falafel, this was a revelation! And easy to make, too. I'm a twenty-something who likes to try new foods in the kitchen, and this is definitely something I will make again. And, you can do it gluten-free if you use crushed Chex cereal for the bread crumbs!

Quite possibly the best falafel I've ever had--better even than the previous best, a Mediterranean deli down the road.

I guess I'm not the falafel type.

I have made these several times. When I make them now I add 1-2 tsp of curry powder to it. Role them into balls a little bit bigger than ping pong balls and bake. They're great the next day served in a pita with veggies and left over cucumber sauce.