These Thermomix falafel are easy to make and incredibly delicious! There are only four quick steps for making a great falafel recipe, a Middle Eastern snack popular worldwide!
I adore these Thermomix falafel! I really could have them every day, for lunch, breakfast, or dinner, or as a quick snack in between. They are herby and full of flavor, crispy on the outside, yet so moist and soft on the inside. You can have them as they are; you can make pita sandwiches, serve them with the Best Hummus without Garlic, make a falafel platter or Falafel Sandwich, or serve them as mezze together with other Middle East-inspired appetizers. Try this Easy Lebanese Lentil Soup as well, is healthy and full of flavor.
But why is this Thermomix falafel recipe my favorite?
Despite the flavor and consistency that will still be there even if you don’t use a Thermomix, this kitchen gadget makes the entire procedure even simpler and faster. There are only four main steps for making these gorgeous bites:
- Step 1: Soak the chickpeas overnight.
- Step 2: Mix all the ingredients in the Thermomix.
- Step 3: Form the falafel balls.
- Step 4: Cook them. Here you have three options: you can deep-fry them, air-fry them, or bake them.
If you like the air fried meals, we have some other air-fryer recipes for you to enjoy: Quick Air Fryer Lamb Chops, Air Fryer Frozen Calamari, Air Fryer Frozen Fish Sticks, or Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.
What do you need?
Chickpeas:
- NOT canned chickpeas. You need dried chickpeas that need to be soaked and then used uncooked.
- I always make falafel using 2 cups (400 g) of dry pulses. When soaked, you will have about 5 cups (800 g). This amount makes about 20 large falafel; you can halve the recipe if that’s too much for you. Although I never bother for less, we love them and eat them every day until they are all gone.
Gram flour:
- Also called besan flour. It’s flour made from a particular sort of chickpea called gram chickpea, and it is commonly used in the Indian subcontinent. It is pretty easy to get in most larger supermarkets. Otherwise, you can purchase it online.
Fresh herbs:
- They are an essential ingredient in this recipe. I always use a mixture of fresh flat parsley and fresh cilantro. You could use them half-half, but I tend to use a little more parsley than cilantro. But the choice is yours.
- You can also add a few large mint leaves, which I always do in spring and summer when mint grows in my garden.
Spices:
- Generous amounts of ground cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper.
Baking soda:
- It’s commonly used for making falafel and when boiling chickpeas for making other dishes. Baking soda is alkaline, raises the pH level, breaks down the pectin, and helps the pulses cook faster. Without it, the falafel would taste slightly raw even after cooking, and they will be less puffy.
Other ingredients: 1 onion, 5 large garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds.
How to make them?
- Soak overnight: Place the dry chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and soak for at least 12 hours and up to 24 (1). Drain well.
- Mix: Cut the onion into quarters, and pulse for 5 seconds on level 5. Grate garlic on a grater and add it to the pot.
- Add the soaked pulses to the Thermomix. Add gram flour, roughly chopped herbs (including their more delicate stems), all the spices, and baking soda. All the ingredients EXCEPT the sesame seeds.
- Process for 30 seconds on level 5. Scrape the mixture down the sides of the bowl and process again for about 10 seconds. Scrape again, and repeat a couple more times until you have the right consistency: the mixture should look like coarse sand. Don’t overprocess; you should not have a paste.
- Refrigerate: Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 (2).
- Make balls: Add sesame seeds just before forming and cooking the balls. Scoop some of the mix with an ice scooper or with your wet hands and form balls or discs. I usually get about 20 balls of approximately 1.7-2 oz (50-55 g) each (3).
- Cook: deep fry, air-fry, or bake the Thermomix falafel.
How to deep fry them?
- My least preferred method, yet the technique that makes the best falafel. I rarely deep-fry anything; when you will find me deep-frying anything, it would probably be falafel…
- Pour oil into a large skillet, about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) depth. Heat on medium-high heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius). If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the mix into the hot oil. If it sizzles nicely, you can start frying.
- Place the balls into the hot oil using a slotted spoon, and be careful not to burn yourself. Don’t drop them, or the oil might splatter (4).
- Cook in batches for about 4 minutes and turn the balls a few times in between to cook on all sides. When cooked, they should be crispy and deeply golden brown (5).
- Remove with the slotted spoon and place on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
How to air fry them?
- Heat the fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
- Spray the air fryer basket and the falafel with a bit of oil. You can also brush them if you don’t have a spray.
- Fry the balls in two batches; they should fit in the basket in a single layer and not touch each other much (6).
- Cook for 7 minutes, flip and cook for another 7 minutes, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (7). Repeat with the second batch.
- If they are flat, cook them for only 10-12 minutes.
How to bake them?
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush it with oil. Brush or spray the chickpea balls with oil as well.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Flip, spray with oil again, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until they are crispy and brown.
- If they are flat, cook them for 5 minutes less, and check to see if they are cooked through.
Expert Tips and FAQ
Grate the garlic: it might sound strange, as you are making Thermomix falafel, but I am never happy with how the machine manages the garlic in a mixture; the garlic is not fine enough in the end. That’s why I’ve learned the hard way to always take the extra time and grate the garlic when making falafel, hummus, or similar mixes in the Thermomix.
Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour; this way, the patties hold together better when you form them and will not fall apart during cooking.
Recipe FAQ
I wouldn’t, I’ve made falafel with or without it, and they are always fluffier and better when I use baking soda. If you don’t have it, use baking powder, it’s not traditional, but it has a similar effect.
Not for this recipe; it would not work. If you want to use cooked pulses, you will have to search for a specific recipe.
Deep-frying makes the best falafel, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. And the oil adds extra flavor.
However, air-frying and baking make healthier falafel and less of a hassle. The balls will be delicious as well, but a tad firmer and dryer.
They are at their best, really fresh and still warm. However, I adore eating them straight from the fridge as well.
You can serve them with hummus, as part of a large mezze plate, in pita bread sandwiches with tahini sauce, or make bowls with fresh vegetable sticks, roasted vegetables, hummus, tahini sauce, or tzatziki.
Keep them refrigerated for up to 5 days. They will not be crispy anymore, but still delicious. Reheat them in the air fryer or oven; they will get warm and crisp up a bit again. You can also eat them cold.
You can freeze the uncooked falafel for up to 3 months. Freeze them on a baking tray and transfer them to a freezer bag or an airtight container once solid. They can be cooked from frozen; you might want to increase the cooking time slightly and check that they are cooked through.
Our favorite tahini sauce as a bonus: mix 3 tablespoons tahini with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 grated garlic cloves, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water to loosen it up a bit more if desired.
More quick snacks
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
- Cucumber Cream Cheese Wraps
- Easy Sandwich Pinwheels
- Turkey and Avocado Sandwich
- Easy Strawberry Turnovers
Air Fryer recipes you might like
Easy Thermomix Falafel
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas 400 g (Note 1)
- 4 tablespoons gram flour
- 1 medium onion or 2 small ones
- 5 garlic cloves large
- 1 ½ cups chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes Note 2
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Make falafel
- Soak overnight: Place chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and soak for at least 12 hours and up to 24. Drain well.
- Mix: Cut the onion into quarters, process for 5 seconds on level 5. Grate garlic on a grater and add it to the pot. Add chickpeas, gram flour, roughly chopped herbs (including their finer stems), baking soda, cumin, coriander, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Process for 30 seconds on level 5. Scrape the mixture down the bowl's walls and process again for about 10 seconds. Scrape again, repeat a couple more times until you have the right consistency: the mixture should look like coarse sand. Don’t overprocess; you should not have a paste.
- Refrigerate: Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24.
- Make balls: Add sesame seeds just before forming and cooking the balls. Scoop with an ice scooper or your hands and form balls or discs. I usually get about 20 balls of approximately 1.7-2 oz (50-55 g) each.
Deep fry
- Pour oil in a large skillet, about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) depth. Heat on medium-high heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius) (Note 3).
- Fry: Place the balls into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Caution: hot oil! Cook in batches for about 4 minutes per batch. Turn the balls a few times in between to cook on all sides. They should be crispy and deeply golden brown.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
Air Fryer
- Heat the fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
- Spray or brush the air fryer basket and the falafel with cooking oil. Fry the balls in two batches; they should fit in the basket in a single layer and not touch each other much.
- Cook for 14 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through. Repeat with the second batch. If they are flat, cook them for only 10-12 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and brush it with oil. Brush or spray the chickpea balls with oil as well.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping and spraying with oil halfway until they are crispy and brown.If they are flat, cook them for 5 minutes less, and check to see if they are cooked through.
Notes
- It makes almost 5 cups of soaked chickpeas or 800 g. If you want to use cooked pulses, you will have to search for a specific recipe; they will not work here.
- Or cayenne pepper to taste; it is usually hotter than the flakes.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the mix into the hot oil. If it sizzles nicely, you can start frying.
- Bonus tahini sauce: mix 3 tablespoons tahini with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 grated garlic cloves, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water to loosen it up a bit more if desired.