Baked Falafel: Why Does It Fall Apart With Canned Chickpeas?
You can make crispy falafel in the oven, without frying, using two tablespoons of oil and about fifteen minutes of hands-on work. The key is to use soaked dried chickpeas, because canned ones make the mixture fall apart.
Why canned chickpeas make falafel fall apart
What holds falafel together isn't flour. It's the raw chickpea itself, which acts as the glue.
When heated, the starch in raw chickpeas swells. Together with their proteins, it binds the mixture and makes the balls come out firm.
Canned chickpeas arrive already cooked and waterlogged. That glue has already been used up, which is why the mixture won't hold. Dried chickpeas also contain about twenty grams of protein per hundred grams, according to BEDCA.
Ingredients for about twenty balls
You'll need 250 grams of dried chickpeas, soaked the night before. You'll also need half an onion and two garlic cloves.
For the green part, one bunch of parsley and one of cilantro. If you prefer, you can use parsley only.
Finish with one teaspoon of cumin, one teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of oil.
Step by step: how to make baked falafel
Step one. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Drain the chickpeas and dry them thoroughly with a cloth.
Step two. Blend all the ingredients except the oil. Use short pulses until the mixture looks like damp sand. Don't turn it into a purée, or the falafel will be dense. If the mixture doesn't hold together when you squeeze it, pulse it a few more times.
Step three. Shape about twenty walnut-sized balls. Then flatten them slightly so they brown on both sides.
Step four. Place them on baking paper and brush them with the oil. Bake for 25 minutes, turning them halfway through. They'll come out golden and firm.
Oven instead of frying
In the Middle East, falafel is fried. Here, the oven is all you need for a golden, crispy result.
That way, you only need two tablespoons of oil for the whole batch.
How to serve it
Served with salad and yogurt, baked falafel becomes a complete dinner.
Remember the main idea: falafel isn't held together by flour, but by chickpeas you haven't cooked yet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make falafel with canned chickpeas?
It isn't recommended. Canned chickpeas come cooked and waterlogged, so they've lost the ability to bind the mixture and the falafel falls apart.
Do I need to add flour to keep it from breaking?
No. What binds the mixture is the starch and proteins in raw chickpeas, which do their work with the heat of the oven.
How long and at what temperature should falafel be baked?
At 200 degrees for 25 minutes, turning it halfway through.
What should I do if the mixture doesn't hold together when I squeeze it?
Pulse it a few more times, without turning it into a purée. It should have the texture of damp sand.
Informative article written with the help of AI tools from the verified script of the video. The video is in Spanish.