Air Fryer Falafel Recipe (With Canned Chickpeas) - Skinnytaste (2024)

FAQs

Why can't you use canned chickpeas for falafel? ›

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.

Or you could air fry them.

It's true that the falafel cooked this way doesn't get 100 percent as crispy as a traditional deep fry, but it's very close. Plus, the the easy clean-up and use of less oil make it totally worth it.

Classic, plain hummus is my go-to dip here, but roasted red pepper hummus or avocado hummus are also great options. Add a salad. Tabouli, fattoush salad, and shriazi salad go well with falafel, but nearly any fresh green salad with a light olive oil dressing will work. Don't forget the olives and pickles!

The chickpeas should be tender enough to break apart with your fingers, but still have a bite to them.

The only difference is that canned chickpeas tend to be moist and hold extra liquid. This can make your hummus runnier than if you used dried chickpeas soaked overnight. Go ahead and try making hummus with canned chickpeas - it should still be delicious!

If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them with water to cut the sodium (salt) content by almost a half. Rinse well in cold water to make them easier to digest and less gas-producing.

Simply mix until you have a paste-like consistency but it does not need to be perfectly smooth. A few rough bits are completely fine. 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.

There are also ample amounts of B-vitamins and minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Four to five pieces of traditionally prepared, deep-fried falafel contains about 540 calories and 26 grams of fat, but there is also a whopping 17 grams of fiber and 19 grams of protein. Overall, not such a bad meal.

Greek Garden Organic olive oil is smooth and well-balanced with a light finish to enhance the flavors of dishes such as hummus, Tzatziki and falafel. Using olive oil is a healthier option for frying, as it creates a thick crust that stops the oil from being absorbed into the food.

May Help Control Weight

With its high protein and fiber content, falafel may aid weight control by inducing feelings of fullness. Eating low-GI foods like chickpeas can also help manage blood sugar levels.

What is a good binder for falafel? ›

A binding ingredient can help keep it together, especially if you are using canned beans instead of dried. 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.

Falafel is usually made with fava beans in Egyptian cuisine, where it most likely originated, with chickpeas in Palestinian cuisine, or just chickpeas or a combination of both in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and the wider Middle East. This version is the most popular in the West.

Turns out that dried chickpeas are essential to good falafel. See, canned chickpeas have already been cooked. Starch molecules within them have already burst and released their sticky contents, much of which get washed away in the cooking liquid, leaving the remaining chickpeas with very little clinging power.

The drier the chickpeas, the crispier they are once roasted. Coat with olive oil and a good pinch of kosher salt. Olive oil helps the chickpeas crisp up in the oven. After tossing them with oil and salt, transfer the chickpeas to a large baking sheet.

A cooked falafel is supposed to be crispy and crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Due to variations in preparation methods and recipes - some falafels are mushier and with more moisture, while others are a bit more on the dry side.

Canned chickpeas are not only acceptable, they might actually be better a better option than dried. Unless you're buying dried chickpeas from a reputable seller with a high turnover, get the best canned stuff you can afford (preferably organic). So easy you'll never buy hummus again.

Canned chickpeas contain high amounts of potassium. Since people who are on certain medications, such as beta-blockers for heart disease, have increased levels of potassium in the blood, they should be careful about their potassium intake.

Canned chickpeas are pre-cooked chickpeas. You can eat canned chickpeas straight out of the can! (Just be sure to rinse them off before chowing down to wash out excess sodium) Otherwise, you can roast them or turn them into any number of delicious dishes, like these here.

Fresh chickpeas are picked while they are still green and in the pod. Dried chickpeas are left on the vine until both the plant and the bean have dried out. Dried garbanzo beans are usually the ones that get cooked and canned or turned into hummus. Canned chickpeas are cooked and seasoned with salt prior to canning.