Whether you’re starting a new school year or remembering that you didn’t have a summer vacation from your job, fall can be one of the most strenuous times of the year. Even so, fall is my favorite season, and falafel is my favorite middle eastern food. As the weather gets colder, my favorite way to warm up is with a hot dinner. And what’s hotter than some fried chickpea batter balls? I love falafel, but I don’t always have the time to make it properly. Luckily, I’ve found three ways to make falafel that will fit into even the busiest vegan’s schedule.
When you have two hours…
Start from scratch. Unsurprisingly, homemade falafel is the best falafel. Not only does it taste amazing, but it is also the healthiest version because it is made entirely from real ingredients, which means no preservatives. Interestingly, almost every homemade falafel recipe calls for dried chickpeas, only to make you soak them in water overnight. This is fine for people who have all the time in the world to prepare their mind and body for a falafel experience. However, I am not one of those people. For mere mortals who need their falafel cravings satisfied ASAP, I suggest using canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained). The end result is the same, and canned chickpeas save valuable time that you can now spend eating these delicious balls. (Yup, I said it.)
With a food processor, making falafel from scratch is surprisingly easy. You just throw chickpeas, herbs, various spices, lemon juice, and flour into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. The only disadvantage of making falafel from scratch is that you need to buy fresh parsley and cilantro, and if you don’t use these herbs very often, you could end up wasting them. However, the sacrifice is well worth it for some homemade falafel.
The most daunting part of making falafel from scratch was frying the balls. Luckily, I had one of those release-scoopers that made it super easy to scoop some batter from the food processor and release it into the pot for frying.
There was only one grease flame the entire time I was frying, so I'd call that a success.
I used grapeseed oil to fry my falafel balls, and after accidentally burning the first few, I turned the heat down to medium and achieved brown, crunchy perfection.
Wrapped in a pita with some lettuce, tomato, and hummus, these falafel balls were right at home (until they relocated to my stomach, of course).
When you have thirty minutes…
Think inside the box.
Texture is the most important when it comes to box mixes, and I don’t think I found the right one. I added 1 1/4 cups of water to the Fantastic falafel mix (just like the box said!), stirred them together, and let the batter sit for 15 minutes. However, after making falafel from scratch, I figured I should put the mixture into the fridge to help it solidify, but that accidentally dried it out. Even after adding more water, the batter still fell slightly apart while it fried. The result was falafel clumps, not pretty falafel balls like my homemade ones.
Not. Cute.
Even though I had learned some valuable skills from my first time frying falafel balls, I couldn’t get these ones to turn out as perfectly golden crisp as my homemade ones. Although I didn’t burn any of these balls, they were almost undercooked.
This time, I used olive oil instead of grapeseed oil. That shouldn't make any difference, but perhaps that's the reason why they didn't fry as easily?
I like my falafel balls with a soft center, but they just weren’t as good as my homemade ones.
Poor, sad falafel ball and pita. Oh well, I'm sure you'll make someone else happy...someday.
Needless to say, I failed at making falafel out of box. This is not to say that it can’t be done. I’m just not the person to do it.
When you have two minutes…
Go frozen or go hungry. Yes, you read that right. There is such a thing as frozen falafel balls, and Trader Joe’s makes some darn good ones. These falafel balls are great if you’re craving falafel, but don’t have the time or energy to actually make it.
Although this falafel ball may be frozen solid, its cute little shape certainly warms my heart!
Not only is there zero prep time, but you can make these falafel balls in about 15 minutes in the oven or only two minutes in the microwave. That’s right, you can microwave these falafel balls.
Having tried both baking and microwaving these falafel balls, I can attest that either way delivers a surprisingly delicious final product. Of course, they’ll never be as good as homemade, but they certainly do in a pinch.
Since you don’t have to waste time actually making the falafel, you can use that time preparing the wrap in which they will go. I made a vegan tzatziki sauce, using vegan mayonnaise. I also learned that I don’t really vegan tzatziki sauce because I’ve never really liked mayo, vegan or non.
It looks so good, but was just too much for me. I prefer my good ole hummus any day.
Ta-da! In fifteen minutes or less
Whether you’ve got all the time in the world or just two minutes, you can have a delicious vegan meal. Life may be hectic, but there’s always time to be a vegan foodie.