Lebanon • Regional Dish • Side Dish
Lebanese Falafel
Lebanese falafel combines soaked chickpeas, fava beans, herbs, and warm spices into crisp fritters that belong in pita, as mezze, or in your snack rotation.
Instructions
- Add the chickpeas and fava beans to separate bowls. Cover each with plenty of cold water and add a pinch of baking soda to each bowl. Soak for 12 to 18 hours. Drain very well and rinse. Lebanese falafel recipes commonly use soaked dried legumes rather than canned or pre-cooked beans.
- Add the drained chickpeas and fava beans to a food processor in batches and pulse until the mixture looks like fine coarse crumbs. Do not turn it into a smooth paste. A crumbly texture is a recurring feature in Lebanese-style falafel guidance because it helps create a lighter interior once fried.
- Add the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and mint to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not wet.
- Transfer everything to a large bowl. Add the cumin, coriander, seven-spice, black pepper, chili powder, salt, baking powder, and sesame seeds. Mix very well until evenly combined. Lebanese falafel commonly includes chickpeas, fava beans, parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion, and warm spices such as cumin and coriander.
- Cover and rest the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps it firm up and makes shaping easier.
- Shape the mixture into small patties or balls, about the size of a walnut, pressing firmly so they hold together.
- Heat neutral oil in a deep saucepan or fryer to 180 C. Fry the falafel in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until deep golden brown and crisp outside.
- Lift out and drain on paper towel or a wire rack. The inside should be cooked through, fluffy, and green from the herbs.
- Serve hot with pita, tahini sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, and parsley.
Cultural Context
Falafel is a staple across the Levant, and Lebanese versions often combine chickpeas with fava beans, then add plenty of fresh herbs and garlic for a bright green interior and a crisp fried shell. It is common as a sandwich, part of a mezze spread, or a casual street-food meal with tahini sauce and pickles. The exact spice blend varies by family, but the broad profile stays recognizable: earthy, herbal, savory, and fried until properly crisp.
Fun Fact
In many Lebanese falafel recipes, the inside is meant to stay visibly green from the herbs. If the center comes out beige and gloomy, something went wrong somewhere between the parsley and your food processor. The emphasis on abundant herbs shows up across multiple Lebanese-style recipes.
Cook’s Tip
A blend of chickpeas and fava beans is common in Lebanese falafel, though some home cooks lean more heavily on chickpeas depending on family habit and what is available.
Do not use canned chickpeas here. They are too soft and tend to give you dense falafel or, worse, falafel that collapses in the oil. A sad and avoidable plot twist. Most Lebanese recipes rely on dried legumes soaked until they swell but remain raw.
Trivia
A simple regional rule of thumb is that Egyptian ta'ameya is strongly associated with fava beans, while Lebanese falafel more often uses chickpeas with fava beans together or alongside them.
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