Wenzelous it’s a professional chef skill most of us picked up early on in our career after many drunken closings where you open the next morning and have to eat a good meal before bed
Hey Kenji, you really have become the modern day Jacques Pepin. These videos remind me so much of the early episodes of Fast Food My Way before PBS started editing his recipes down and cutting out much of the technique. Not only do you explain what & why you're doing, us being able to see your technique in action is so useful. Thanks for taking the time. You are an inspiration to all of us wannabe chefs and foodies.
This is actually waaay easier with a meat grinder. Comes out perfect with no need to be able (and invariably failing the first time(s)) to eyeball the correct coarseness in a food processor.
my mans out here like "one for my dog, one for me, one for my wife, one for me, oops one broke, that one's for me, and I think that adds up to another one for me.." I don't blame you, they look absolutely delicious dude, hope you had a wonderful lunch, love your videos
As an arab family, I can tell you that in the summers, when we go buy falafel (it's impossible to make enough falafel for an extended family of 20 people in the morning) the lucky ones who go get the falafel almost always snack on a couple before we get home. It's like the arab version of sneaking a couple of fries on the way home from McDonald's.
John Locatelli I think it’s a good thing they finally made a stand against Adam and his shit ways, it sucks that we don’t have any new bon Apetit vids but I discovered that kenji has a YT Chanel because of it ... also SOHLA IS BAE!!!!... edited because my Dumbass had the wrong name
Anomie H oh I should have specified it’s Chris rapaport not Morocco, he was the lead editor or basically the guy who ran BA and treated everyone like shit, and underpaid/didn’t pay people of colour for their video parts only their written aditions to the company
Hi Kenji, loved the video! Another common falafel that we make in Palestine is a bigger version stuffed with onion and sumac, and then rolled in sesame seeds. The balls come out better if you have access to a falafel scoop too! And go heavy with greens (add leeks too) for that bright fluffy interior and crisp brown exterior. Serve with a side of Tahini salad (cucumber, tomato, tahini, lemon, gralic, EVOO, water, salt) Delicious!!!
Stuffed with onions... There was a Palestinian bakery I used to go to that made the most amazing onion-stuffed falafel. Do you just slice the onions up and form the balls around them? I'd like to make these, they were amazing then and I really want to try and recreate it.
@@arthrodea absolutely! If you could also add more greens, usually a good falafel is vibrant green on the inside. You can stuff it with onion and sumac, you can even add a tiny bit of pomegranate molasses but not too much, it will add just the right hint of sweetness that will pair perfectly with the tahini.
@@penguiin12 Have you tried it again in the 5 months with more success? I've read a few recipes where people commenting found similar bitterness in their hummus/tahini sauces, and it ended up being a feature of the tahini they were using
I cannot stress it enough..Thanks Kenji..your Cooking show is the best thing that came out of corona. I simply do not get it, why this channel does not have millions of subscribers.
This is bringing back fond memories of the time I worked as a cook at a restaurant that served fresh falafel sandwiches. We would soak large quantities of chickpeas overnight in our old pickle buckets, but you had to make sure to leave one side of the lid open, or risk a foamy mess in the morning. One time, someone had left the chickpeas soaking for two whole days in the middle of the summer, but they had sealed the bucket completely. For 48 hours. In the middle of summer. In a restaurant kitchen. I'm not quite sure what happened to those chickpeas during that time, but the smell was so bad when we opened it that we had to put the bucket outside so as not to risk our guests catching a whiff. Good times.
I use a very similar recipe when I’m making falafel, but I shape them into small patties and bake them in the oven (mostly because frying scares me and I always feel like I’m wasting a ton of oil). I add about 2-3 tsp of olive oil to the mix itself to compensate for the dryness, and spray the (parchment papered) baking sheet and tops of the falafels with oil as well. Bake them at 400 for about 30 min or until nicely browned, flipping halfway. They still crisp up really nicely outside and retain a fluffy and moist inside.
" Hey Kenji! Could you make a video on fridge management? I constantly waste food and looking at your fridge it looks like you have a great variety of stuff but you are able to use it all in different recipes. What does an average "basic" fridge shop contain for you? " - Dom W
I was brought up to treat waste as an ultimate sin. I'm From an Irish village where old people act like they lived through the famine. My mother would crucify you mister Grys.
One way to avoid waste is to meal plan. I usually make a list of meals I want to make including what I plan to do with the leftovers, and then make a grocery list based on that. This should include breakfast (usually smoothies), lunches (mainly grain/vegetable salads) and dinners (3-4 per week). This way you inly but what’s on the list, don’t cruise every aisle in the store. Just targeted strikes in the aisles. Be sure to survey the fridge and pantry before making the list in order to use up stuff that’s there/not duplicate things. This works great and saves money, plus if you have a little extra time one day you can meal prep for the planned menu.
safety tip when cooking with oil at home, don't wear socks. I made that mistake last week, splattered some 500 degree butter on my foot while wearing socks, the hot oil just sat there until it lost all it's heat, now I have a nasty painful circular burn on my foot...
Man I love you're channel because you show in REAL time the transitions and processes that it takes to make these dishes properly.. most cooking shows are too choppy in editing and aren't realistic as far as what step takes how much time vs technique to efficiently and comfortablly get through a recipe.
I have made them with canned chickpeas before, but threw them in the freezer for 15 min before frying. It worked well and the falafel turned out nicely.
The ratio of Tahini to liquid (water+lemon juice) in the sauce is about 1:1. In order to avoid the "mud phase", you can start with the liquids and mix the Tahini paste into the liquids. The liquids should be a bit less than half the volume of prepared Tahini sauce you want to make. Then, adjust. I am an Israeli cook. I made lots and lots of Tahini and came up with this method. Try it the next time you make Tahini sauce.
I love your thinking. makes sense, but I honestly believed that the mud phase was important for the flavor in the end. I'll try it your way though. maybe it is different in the end, but good too. I usually keep mine on the dryer side. I go past the mud phase adding only enough water to make it smooth again. I find this to work better as a spread. it's almost like a mayo texture. I'll take some from the thick batch and then add more water and herbs to make dressings and dips.
I like Taim in NYC but I think King of Falafel & Shwarma in Astoria (or truck on 5th ave) is wayyyyy superior. Perfect outside crunch and fluffy interior
This falafel recipe was absolutely fantastic. I don't have a food processor so I just pulsed the chickpeas in a blender in small batches and it worked out really well. I think even going a coarser grind is doable and gives you a more interesting texture; I let the falafel dough sit in the fridge overnight before shaping and they really held together well. Very tasty, one of the best things I've made in my life and definitely better than the restaurant stuff.
I made this and yknow what. It was fucking bomb. It was amazing. I've never even fried anything before. These lil boys of garbanzo beans? They cooked perfect. They stayed together. I will never experience the frustration of falafal falling apart THIS MAN has saved me from a future I didn't even know existed. The falafal? It was good. This makes good falafal
I got a recipe from my favorite street vendor n Downtown Brooklyn when I was leaving the city many years ago, he always refused to tell me so the last day in the neighborhood I went and bought one, then got down on my knees and told him I was leaving and I didn't want to live without that recipe to take with me - he relented, your style is good but the differences are these - soak the chickpeas with 1/2 tsp of baking soda, use a grinder not a processor with the small-hole disc, and he just used cilantro and mint - but most importantly also a small yellow onion to provide juicyness and sugars so the outside gets dark brown - also, if you grow cilantro and let it go to seed you will get fresh coriander seed to use and freeze - the flavor difference is huge - Also, his tahini lemon sauce had only 1 clove of garlic, and a good dash of soy sauce!
Love this recipe! I make these once a week now (and had never made falafel before). If you are having trouble getting the mix to stick together into a ball, you probably need to chop it finer in the food processor (based on my experience).
This looks amazing! I LOVE middle eastern food! I'm so glad you told us about the try-soaked-raw chickpeas. I've had trouble with canned chickpeas in the past. I must let you know, if you don't already, but may have forgotten: Garlic can make dogs very sick. There's a LOT of garlic in this recipe. I have two lovely dogs (one of them is an old girl with food sensitivities) and I'm very careful not to give them any onions or garlic. They are part of the allium family, and contain thiosulfate, which can cause oxidative damage to dogs' red blood cells, causing hemolytic anemia. Love your cooking, and love your old doggies! :)
Kenji - Id like to thank you again for all of these videos - away from my friends and coworkers because of the lockdown - these videos are one of main sources of entertainment and fun.
My wife asked me to make falafel yesterday, think this is what im having for lunch tomorrow! Thanks once again kenji, also The Food Lab is an amazing cookbook!
I have wanted to make falafel for years. Found the video a few weeks ago, watched it three times, and finally made these last night. A wonderful experience and super-delicious, crispy falafel! Thank you Kenji for helping to make my cooking dreams come true!
I tried to make falafel from yellow split peas, added some finely grated carrots and a little of chickpea flour, just to make sure everything holds together. Turned out to be better than the original!
Hey Kenji! I actually made this exact recipe from serious eats within the past year. It was delicious! Super excited to watch you do it. Gonna make it again soon. Thanks for always including little bits of knowledge in these videos.
I have made them with precooked chickpeas and I added some flour and some baking powder!!! it puffs up and it gets reaaaaly beautiful! I will try your recipe too
Thank you UA-cam algorithm for this!! I got your book out of the library late last year and really enjoyed it, especially being from a chemistry background myself :)
Thank you so much for the heads up! I watched this and made them using some of the information gained and literally night and day for my falafels!!!! Thank you
Very nice! Found your channel 'cos Brian Lagerstrom loves you and gave you major praise. Love the down to earth cooking in a modest kitchen backed by some proper science about why stuff works from a cooking perspective!
That's the same brand I use too, it's really good for sauces and hummus. Can't claim to be an Arab though, even if I make Falafel the same way [I actually use a countertop meat grinder like he mentioned you can!] I'm just a... *looks down at his gut* Guy who likes food a little too much and enjoys many 'ethnic' cuisines.
@Eddie falafel is Middle eastern food, not necessarily Arabic. Israel is a middle eastern country with middle eastern food and it doesn't matter if the people are Jewish or Arabic. People linking Israel to falafel because falafel is more common there than other countrys.
I've just made this and both the falafel and the sauce are amazingly delicious. I served it with a red cabbage coleslaw, which is not traditional but works really well together 🙂. Thanks Kenji!
That's what exactly happened to me last week when I tried making with canned chickpeas and it was a falafel experience, I added some boiled potatoes and some bread crumbs to bind it together.
Funny Papers yes it did work out well. I added a tablespoon of all purpose flour just to help it bind proper and hoping that they wont fall apart while frying.
Cleo Anderson I tried doing that using egg wash and bread crumbs but the texture wasn’t the same, but using flour did not pop in my mind. I am gonna give it a go next time and see what happens.
This is great Kenji. I was amazed when I watched the owner at an Armenian grocery walk me through the prep of his falafel and tahini sauce when he dumped a bunch of white solid into the sauce and called it "lemon salt." I read the package and it was literal citric acid, food grade.
For those not wanting to deep fry,chef John makes a similar recipe with soaked,pulse chopped garbanzos and forms them in small flattened patties and shallow fries, that shape fits well in pita...
This came up exactly the right time on my feed as I'd been putting off having a go at falafels for a couple of weeks now so I followed this and used my deep fryer and they came out great
I just made these falafel and they were by far the best I've ever made. Amazingly fluffy. At first I found the chickpeas weren't sticking together, so I just pulsed them a bit more and they stuck together very well.
I am serious, you are the best. Thanks for these. I have been cooking all quarantine and it's amazing. Just got The Food Lab and cannot wait to read it. Anyways, thanks for being dope.
hey kenji, im israeli and making tons of falfal a year, yours looking good and i got few tips :1. make green thaini it goes great with green flafal (just chop up some herbs and put in) 2.add a small amout of baking soda to the falfal blend and the color and crust will be perfect (you know like your potatos recipe) 3.if you add cold water to thaini it comes smoother faster 4.add sesame seeds to your falfal, its crazy how much flavor it adds and also connects with the thaini your great thanks for all the information your giving us for free :D
I have tried Laura Millers recipe it's with walnut n red onion added its really yummy n they were baked I love that tahini technique you showed! Thank you
This was great, thank you! Andong also has an excellent video on falafel. So many people are deterred by the frustrating experience of watching falafel turn into falafel crumbles in the oil, but your videos go a long way toward addressing that problem
I've been binge watching a ton of your videos, and the part that gets me the most is, your dogs... they literally eat everything, my dogs would occasionally turn their nose away from stuff. lol
Excellent tutorial. Made me get my blender down. I figure you come out ahead time wise by not peeling the garlic. (Btw oh Lord gorgeous garlic!) Sadly we don't get such fresh garlic nor have I found a small jar of Tahini. Kenji you remember the great shops on Mt Auburn just over the border into Watertown. Arax being the best. Only large jars of need a secret for getting the sesame cement reconstituted. Ty
I recommend you to add a baking powder in to the mixture to make it fluffier. As for the ingredient goes, I'd add shallots or onions as well. For the tahini sauce, you may try the same recipe with additional strained yoghurt and a little bit olive oil.
So excited to try this! The only time I've ever liked falafel is at Taim (the green falafel) or when my Palestinian friends have cookouts. Very freshly cooked seems to be key to deliciousness.
I put some olive oil in the mix, and bake the balls in a cast iron aebelskiver pan at 400° F. I use those universal stamped metal tongs for turning when they start to get brown on the bottom. I like the idea of using mint, I will try that.
Looks really great! I appreciate you telling why you do or don't do certain things. I got one question though: when making falafel you had one clove of garlic that was off, and in your sauce you just used them unpeeled. How do you know they aren't off? I never blended them unpeeled and didn't know about the reaction with lemon juice, thanks for those suggestions!
Hey Kenji, thanks for this! I fell in love with falafel back in my college days at a place called Falafel King on Pearl Street in Boulder, CO. Now, ~30 years later, I have given up looking for good falafel here in Seattle. Now I don't need a restaurant to get my fix.
I appreciate the tip about adding flour to make the canned garbanzo beans work. Even if the texture isn't as good as raw beans, it still displays a can-do attitude.
I follow Solomov's recipe but usually use garlic I braise/roast with olive oil and some dry herbs/salt/pepper and I usually add the cooking oil into the tahini sauce because why not. It has a sweeter caramel garlic taste.
There's a family owned and operated falafel drive up on Steven's Creek Blvd near the San Jose airport...their falafels in a pita are worth the wait (get there early) and get the banana milk shake.
Honestly a great comparison is the texture of ground weed. When I tried this recipe at home I was shocked at how similar the texture was. Tasted great btw.
Mason E I love kenji but this falafel recipe ain’t it.. there are a ton of better falafel recipes out there by middle eastern chefs. I would suggest the falafel recipe by chef ahmad here on UA-cam. Very similar to what you would find in the streets of old jerusalem
Hey Kenji, would you mind making a video showing your knife collection. I remember you recommending a few throughout your videos but I don't remember which videos you mentioned them in.
I always like imagining kenji yeeting me onto his shoulders in the beginning of every video
How else are we meant to control him while he cooks?
Brand new sentence.
Lol! Can't unsee
I was like “umm.... oooohhh” 😂
Love this ❤️😎👋👏
Keeping a running audible stream of consciousness monologue isn't always easy. Kenji does a good job.
He’s also good at communicating the same stream of consciousness inaudibly in his Late Night videos
Wenzelous it’s a professional chef skill most of us picked up early on in our career after many drunken closings where you open the next morning and have to eat a good meal before bed
I agree!! Food network would have to script all the unique tidbits of information and stories he just naturally comes up with!
Hey Kenji, you really have become the modern day Jacques Pepin. These videos remind me so much of the early episodes of Fast Food My Way before PBS started editing his recipes down and cutting out much of the technique. Not only do you explain what & why you're doing, us being able to see your technique in action is so useful. Thanks for taking the time. You are an inspiration to all of us wannabe chefs and foodies.
@kenji I think were ready for you to enlighten us on how to organize a fridge!!!
im drooling just by reading this
no he’s not. he’s a modern kenji
Pepin actually adheres to a mis-en-place approach to food prep and cooking. Kenji doesn't (that's how you can forget garlic). No where close to Pepin.
@@AC-gw4qu whoooo caaaares please try to say nice things if you can manage it
kenji thinking that someone who doesn’t have a food processor would absolutely have a meat grinder 😂
I don't have a food processor but have a meat grinder.........
@@Bluegomu same
Me too.. i have a meat grinder but no food processor
This is actually waaay easier with a meat grinder. Comes out perfect with no need to be able (and invariably failing the first time(s)) to eyeball the correct coarseness in a food processor.
@@TB-sg1jb great point!
my mans out here like "one for my dog, one for me, one for my wife, one for me, oops one broke, that one's for me, and I think that adds up to another one for me.."
I don't blame you, they look absolutely delicious dude, hope you had a wonderful lunch, love your videos
As an arab family, I can tell you that in the summers, when we go buy falafel (it's impossible to make enough falafel for an extended family of 20 people in the morning) the lucky ones who go get the falafel almost always snack on a couple before we get home. It's like the arab version of sneaking a couple of fries on the way home from McDonald's.
He has so much stuff in his kitchen and he knows exactly where everything is
maybe because its his house
Gabe Welvaert yeah maybe
Except the strainer when his daughter steals it
I wonder if you could use besan (chickpea flour) with canned chickpeas.
As one should
“Add a whole head of garlic”: *Brad Leone has entered the chat.*
“Inhibit the allicin development...”: *Brad Leone has left the chat.*
We didn’t see Brad since the Bon Appétit “scandal” 😭😭😭😭😭
John Locatelli I think it’s a good thing they finally made a stand against Adam and his shit ways, it sucks that we don’t have any new bon Apetit vids but I discovered that kenji has a YT Chanel because of it ... also SOHLA IS BAE!!!!... edited because my Dumbass had the wrong name
Drew Galbraith What is Chris has to do with the scandal?
Anomie H oh I should have specified it’s Chris rapaport not Morocco, he was the lead editor or basically the guy who ran BA and treated everyone like shit, and underpaid/didn’t pay people of colour for their video parts only their written aditions to the company
Drew Galbraith oh his name is Chris okay my bad
Hi Kenji, loved the video! Another common falafel that we make in Palestine is a bigger version stuffed with onion and sumac, and then rolled in sesame seeds. The balls come out better if you have access to a falafel scoop too! And go heavy with greens (add leeks too) for that bright fluffy interior and crisp brown exterior. Serve with a side of Tahini salad (cucumber, tomato, tahini, lemon, gralic, EVOO, water, salt) Delicious!!!
Do you make them with the uncooked (soaked) chickpeas also?
Stuffed with onions... There was a Palestinian bakery I used to go to that made the most amazing onion-stuffed falafel. Do you just slice the onions up and form the balls around them? I'd like to make these, they were amazing then and I really want to try and recreate it.
@@arthrodea always soaked
@@falastiniyi Thank you! I want to attempt your version as best I can recreate it!
@@arthrodea absolutely! If you could also add more greens, usually a good falafel is vibrant green on the inside. You can stuff it with onion and sumac, you can even add a tiny bit of pomegranate molasses but not too much, it will add just the right hint of sweetness that will pair perfectly with the tahini.
popping in 10 months late to say I made that tahini sauce recipe, and it is INSANE. One of the best things I've ever eaten. Instant classic.
Try it with a tahini paste called “Har Bracha Tahini.” Hands down the best!
Dude, I watch your fighting game vids! Haha I’m starstruck 😂
My grandmother and my mother often made humus b'thini. It's great!!!
@@penguiin12 , agreed! Toast the cumin, remove lemon seeds and use a garlic press. Now there's no need to strain the ingredients further tahini! 😉
@@penguiin12 Have you tried it again in the 5 months with more success? I've read a few recipes where people commenting found similar bitterness in their hummus/tahini sauces, and it ended up being a feature of the tahini they were using
FalAweful experience. This channel is comedy heaven.
Yeah, that and the garlic floor-entine from the pickle episode when he dropped the garlic on the floor. :)
"One does not just guac in a mortar" had me cracking up too
You could add a tsp of baking soda just before rolling and frying them to get an extra fluffy texture.
I cannot stress it enough..Thanks Kenji..your Cooking show is the best thing that came out of corona.
I simply do not get it, why this channel does not have millions of subscribers.
half way there
Because motion sickness... 🤢
This is bringing back fond memories of the time I worked as a cook at a restaurant that served fresh falafel sandwiches. We would soak large quantities of chickpeas overnight in our old pickle buckets, but you had to make sure to leave one side of the lid open, or risk a foamy mess in the morning. One time, someone had left the chickpeas soaking for two whole days in the middle of the summer, but they had sealed the bucket completely. For 48 hours. In the middle of summer. In a restaurant kitchen. I'm not quite sure what happened to those chickpeas during that time, but the smell was so bad when we opened it that we had to put the bucket outside so as not to risk our guests catching a whiff. Good times.
another nonbinary fan here, all your videos have really been helping me stay sane during quarantine and teaching me how to cook new things properly
I use a very similar recipe when I’m making falafel, but I shape them into small patties and bake them in the oven (mostly because frying scares me and I always feel like I’m wasting a ton of oil). I add about 2-3 tsp of olive oil to the mix itself to compensate for the dryness, and spray the (parchment papered) baking sheet and tops of the falafels with oil as well. Bake them at 400 for about 30 min or until nicely browned, flipping halfway. They still crisp up really nicely outside and retain a fluffy and moist inside.
awesome! I like the baked option !
Thanks for writing that out! Kenji's recipe looks great but I know myself and I'm not going to fry like that, so now I can try it with your method.
" Hey Kenji! Could you make a video on fridge management? I constantly waste food and looking at your fridge it looks like you have a great variety of stuff but you are able to use it all in different recipes. What does an average "basic" fridge shop contain for you? " -
Dom W
Good question! It bugs me to no end when I have to throw stuff out.
I was brought up to treat waste as an ultimate sin. I'm From an Irish village where old people act like they lived through the famine. My mother would crucify you mister Grys.
One way to avoid waste is to meal plan. I usually make a list of meals I want to make including what I plan to do with the leftovers, and then make a grocery list based on that. This should include breakfast (usually smoothies), lunches (mainly grain/vegetable salads) and dinners (3-4 per week). This way you inly but what’s on the list, don’t cruise every aisle in the store. Just targeted strikes in the aisles. Be sure to survey the fridge and pantry before making the list in order to use up stuff that’s there/not duplicate things. This works great and saves money, plus if you have a little extra time one day you can meal prep for the planned menu.
Perle Demenia my husband needs to read this, but he won’t! Great ideas!
Pinky Johns one of my treasured friends was named Pinky. She passed sadly, but your name made me smile 💖
safety tip when cooking with oil at home, don't wear socks. I made that mistake last week, splattered some 500 degree butter on my foot while wearing socks, the hot oil just sat there until it lost all it's heat, now I have a nasty painful circular burn on my foot...
that's the biggest bay leaf I've ever seen in my life.
i was looking for this comment
Man I love you're channel because you show in REAL time the transitions and processes that it takes to make these dishes properly.. most cooking shows are too choppy in editing and aren't realistic as far as what step takes how much time vs technique to efficiently and comfortablly get through a recipe.
You always make everything look so approachable (besides the number of dishes!). I love your cooking show so much, thank you for sharing!
I have made them with canned chickpeas before, but threw them in the freezer for 15 min before frying. It worked well and the falafel turned out nicely.
"guys, gals, and non-binary pals" j. kenji lopez-alt says trans rights
I wonder if he gets that from the Sleep With Me podcast (not what it sounds like, it's stories to make you fall asleep).
The ratio of Tahini to liquid (water+lemon juice) in the sauce is about 1:1. In order to avoid the "mud phase", you can start with the liquids and mix the Tahini paste into the liquids. The liquids should be a bit less than half the volume of prepared Tahini sauce you want to make. Then, adjust. I am an Israeli cook. I made lots and lots of Tahini and came up with this method. Try it the next time you make Tahini sauce.
I love your thinking. makes sense, but I honestly believed that the mud phase was important for the flavor in the end. I'll try it your way though. maybe it is different in the end, but good too. I usually keep mine on the dryer side. I go past the mud phase adding only enough water to make it smooth again. I find this to work better as a spread. it's almost like a mayo texture. I'll take some from the thick batch and then add more water and herbs to make dressings and dips.
Hey man, how long can I store a tahini bought at the market? Can I freeze it? What if hommus. Thank you for the tip for tahini sauce!!
You stole Palestinian food.
@@tz6706food is food bro is everyone's
"israeli" talking about arabic/palestinian food loool
pronounce tahini and flafel correctly first, and then give tips to your mediocre recipe.
I like Taim in NYC but I think King of Falafel & Shwarma in Astoria (or truck on 5th ave) is wayyyyy superior. Perfect outside crunch and fluffy interior
Good shit
Yes! Love the vegetarian recipes coming through 🙌🏽👌🏽 always appreciated!
This falafel recipe was absolutely fantastic. I don't have a food processor so I just pulsed the chickpeas in a blender in small batches and it worked out really well. I think even going a coarser grind is doable and gives you a more interesting texture; I let the falafel dough sit in the fridge overnight before shaping and they really held together well. Very tasty, one of the best things I've made in my life and definitely better than the restaurant stuff.
That crunch at the end made me hungry and I just ate 😭 this look awesome, I have to try them out!
Kenji, I made this recipe today and everyone loved the crap out of it. Thanks a lot man! I'm gonna keep this recipe in my repertoire.
I made this and yknow what. It was fucking bomb. It was amazing. I've never even fried anything before. These lil boys of garbanzo beans? They cooked perfect. They stayed together. I will never experience the frustration of falafal falling apart THIS MAN has saved me from a future I didn't even know existed. The falafal? It was good. This makes good falafal
I got a recipe from my favorite street vendor n Downtown Brooklyn when I was leaving the city many years ago, he always refused to tell me so the last day in the neighborhood I went and bought one, then got down on my knees and told him I was leaving and I didn't want to live without that recipe to take with me - he relented, your style is good but the differences are these - soak the chickpeas with 1/2 tsp of baking soda, use a grinder not a processor with the small-hole disc, and he just used cilantro and mint - but most importantly also a small yellow onion to provide juicyness and sugars so the outside gets dark brown - also, if you grow cilantro and let it go to seed you will get fresh coriander seed to use and freeze - the flavor difference is huge - Also, his tahini lemon sauce had only 1 clove of garlic, and a good dash of soy sauce!
Love this recipe! I make these once a week now (and had never made falafel before).
If you are having trouble getting the mix to stick together into a ball, you probably need to chop it finer in the food processor (based on my experience).
One of my favourite dishes! Thanks Kenji!
This looks amazing! I LOVE middle eastern food! I'm so glad you told us about the try-soaked-raw chickpeas. I've had trouble with canned chickpeas in the past. I must let you know, if you don't already, but may have forgotten: Garlic can make dogs very sick. There's a LOT of garlic in this recipe. I have two lovely dogs (one of them is an old girl with food sensitivities) and I'm very careful not to give them any onions or garlic. They are part of the allium family, and contain thiosulfate, which can cause oxidative damage to dogs' red blood cells, causing hemolytic anemia. Love your cooking, and love your old doggies! :)
Michael Solomonov is a culinary genius! The go-to guy here in the states for Israeli cuisine. Been fortunate enough to eat at Zahav several times.
Kenji - Id like to thank you again for all of these videos - away from my friends and coworkers because of the lockdown - these videos are one of main sources of entertainment and fun.
That intro/outro makes me feel like i'm in 4th grade. Teacher is wheeling in a TV and we're about to watch a science video lol.
My wife asked me to make falafel yesterday, think this is what im having for lunch tomorrow! Thanks once again kenji, also The Food Lab is an amazing cookbook!
As a fan I knew I'd love this video based on the thumbnail.
As a dad I knew I would once he made the fal-awful joke
I have wanted to make falafel for years. Found the video a few weeks ago, watched it three times, and finally made these last night. A wonderful experience and super-delicious, crispy falafel! Thank you Kenji for helping to make my cooking dreams come true!
I love your living space. It shows you actually live in your home and yard like a real person, not a mannequin in a sterile show house!
Kenji I've said this before, but these videos are so great man. Learn so much in every video!
I tried to make falafel from yellow split peas, added some finely grated carrots and a little of chickpea flour, just to make sure everything holds together. Turned out to be better than the original!
I have now made this recipe four times and I love it so much, this is the EASIEST falafel recipe, and makes perfect delicious falafel every time.
I feel like this cooking channel is the best thing to come out of this god forsaken pandemic. Love your work sir!
Hey Kenji! I actually made this exact recipe from serious eats within the past year. It was delicious! Super excited to watch you do it. Gonna make it again soon. Thanks for always including little bits of knowledge in these videos.
Omg the last frame of this video with your dog in mid-jump is PURE JOY
I have made them with precooked chickpeas and I added some flour and some baking powder!!! it puffs up and it gets reaaaaly beautiful!
I will try your recipe too
Thank you UA-cam algorithm for this!! I got your book out of the library late last year and really enjoyed it, especially being from a chemistry background myself :)
Thank you so much for the heads up! I watched this and made them using some of the information gained and literally night and day for my falafels!!!! Thank you
Man You never disappoint, just don't be afraid to add water to your falafel mix to bind it, and a tiny bit of baking soda will give it a darker crust
I just love how Jamon opens his eyes wide when he takes a bite of food from Kenji's hand. Cute, makes me laugh each time.
Michael Solomonov is such a brilliant chef. I've been to Zahav, Dizengoff, and of course Federal Donuts, and I never fail to be amazed.
I've been wanting to ask you to make a video on this, awesome!! :)
Thanks for sharing, James!
Very nice! Found your channel 'cos Brian Lagerstrom loves you and gave you major praise. Love the down to earth cooking in a modest kitchen backed by some proper science about why stuff works from a cooking perspective!
You, sir, are an honorary Arab in my book.
By the way, that's the exact brand of tahini my family uses. Good choice.
That's the same brand I use too, it's really good for sauces and hummus. Can't claim to be an Arab though, even if I make Falafel the same way [I actually use a countertop meat grinder like he mentioned you can!] I'm just a... *looks down at his gut* Guy who likes food a little too much and enjoys many 'ethnic' cuisines.
@Eddie falafel is Middle eastern food, not necessarily Arabic. Israel is a middle eastern country with middle eastern food and it doesn't matter if the people are Jewish or Arabic. People linking Israel to falafel because falafel is more common there than other countrys.
@@gelusvenn5063 Dude, no shame!
@@nircohen6283 Yeah I'm not really sure what he's talking about lol.
The more people eating this food, the better.
@@Zachary_Sweis exactly!
I've just made this and both the falafel and the sauce are amazingly delicious. I served it with a red cabbage coleslaw, which is not traditional but works really well together 🙂. Thanks Kenji!
That's what exactly happened to me last week when I tried making with canned chickpeas and it was a falafel experience, I added some boiled potatoes and some bread crumbs to bind it together.
MusaShafi that’s interesting did it work? what do you think about adding a little starch, like corn, rice or wheat flour?
I usually roll my canned-chickpea falafel balls in some flour to dry the exterior and help bind together! Works every time for me
Funny Papers yes it did work out well. I added a tablespoon of all purpose flour just to help it bind proper and hoping that they wont fall apart while frying.
Cleo Anderson I tried doing that using egg wash and bread crumbs but the texture wasn’t the same, but using flour did not pop in my mind. I am gonna give it a go next time and see what happens.
👍I love how Kenji cooks. Definitely going to try his method.
Another variation I like is adding toasted pine nuts to the filling or exterior. Kind of like kibbeh.
kenji's vids are so pleasing to watch
This is great Kenji. I was amazed when I watched the owner at an Armenian grocery walk me through the prep of his falafel and tahini sauce when he dumped a bunch of white solid into the sauce and called it "lemon salt." I read the package and it was literal citric acid, food grade.
For those not wanting to deep fry,chef John makes a similar recipe with soaked,pulse chopped garbanzos and forms them in small flattened patties and shallow fries, that shape fits well in pita...
This came up exactly the right time on my feed as I'd been putting off having a go at falafels for a couple of weeks now so I followed this and used my deep fryer and they came out great
Wonderful recipe and lesson. I used Chili Crisp instead of garlic since you encouraged improvisation, along with the herbs. Thank you.
In the first minute Kenji explains why I’ve never succeeded making falafel and makes one of his best dad jokes to date! 🙌
The Egyptian version is made with fava beans in place of chickpeas. I like that version even better, stays more moist
I just made these falafel and they were by far the best I've ever made. Amazingly fluffy. At first I found the chickpeas weren't sticking together, so I just pulsed them a bit more and they stuck together very well.
Timing on this is great. I haven't made falafel in ages and have been hankering to make some again, this is gonna be the method I use.
Love u kenji❤️. Always here to brighten my mood
Ziyad is a very popular brand
Serving with pita bread, tomato, and cucumber along with tahini goes a long way!
I am serious, you are the best. Thanks for these. I have been cooking all quarantine and it's amazing. Just got The Food Lab and cannot wait to read it. Anyways, thanks for being dope.
I tried Michael Solomonov's recipe last time and it was great. I'll try this one next. Thank you!!
hey kenji, im israeli and making tons of falfal a year, yours looking good and i got few tips
:1. make green thaini it goes great with green flafal (just chop up some herbs and put in)
2.add a small amout of baking soda to the falfal blend and the color and crust will be perfect (you know like your potatos recipe)
3.if you add cold water to thaini it comes smoother faster
4.add sesame seeds to your falfal, its crazy how much flavor it adds and also connects with the thaini
your great thanks for all the information your giving us for free :D
I have tried Laura Millers recipe it's with walnut n red onion added its really yummy n they were baked I love that tahini technique you showed! Thank you
This was great, thank you! Andong also has an excellent video on falafel. So many people are deterred by the frustrating experience of watching falafel turn into falafel crumbles in the oil, but your videos go a long way toward addressing that problem
I've been binge watching a ton of your videos, and the part that gets me the most is, your dogs... they literally eat everything, my dogs would occasionally turn their nose away from stuff. lol
thank you Kenji
Mmmmm. Can't wait to try this!
Excellent tutorial. Made me get my blender down. I figure you come out ahead time wise by not peeling the garlic. (Btw oh Lord gorgeous garlic!) Sadly we don't get such fresh garlic nor have I found a small jar of Tahini. Kenji you remember the great shops on Mt Auburn just over the border into Watertown. Arax being the best. Only large jars of need a secret for getting the sesame cement reconstituted. Ty
I recommend you to add a baking powder in to the mixture to make it fluffier. As for the ingredient goes, I'd add shallots or onions as well.
For the tahini sauce, you may try the same recipe with additional strained yoghurt and a little bit olive oil.
this is why I watch you because I never new that about falafel Thank you my DUDE!!
So excited to try this! The only time I've ever liked falafel is at Taim (the green falafel) or when my Palestinian friends have cookouts. Very freshly cooked seems to be key to deliciousness.
try to switch some of the chickpeas with dry fava beans for egyptian style falafel
michal &oren Is that you, Hannibal?
michal &oren use dried fava and soak?
man your kitchen is the stuff of dreams. that detachable sink head! Also falafels 10/10
I put some olive oil in the mix, and bake the balls in a cast iron aebelskiver pan at 400° F. I use those universal stamped metal tongs for turning when they start to get brown on the bottom. I like the idea of using mint, I will try that.
Absolute Legend
That was one of the smoothest garlic preps I've ever seen
Looks really great! I appreciate you telling why you do or don't do certain things.
I got one question though: when making falafel you had one clove of garlic that was off, and in your sauce you just used them unpeeled. How do you know they aren't off?
I never blended them unpeeled and didn't know about the reaction with lemon juice, thanks for those suggestions!
Hey Kenji, thanks for this! I fell in love with falafel back in my college days at a place called Falafel King on Pearl Street in Boulder, CO.
Now, ~30 years later, I have given up looking for good falafel here in Seattle. Now I don't need a restaurant to get my fix.
I appreciate the tip about adding flour to make the canned garbanzo beans work. Even if the texture isn't as good as raw beans, it still displays a can-do attitude.
I follow Solomov's recipe but usually use garlic I braise/roast with olive oil and some dry herbs/salt/pepper and I usually add the cooking oil into the tahini sauce because why not. It has a sweeter caramel garlic taste.
Just made these last night from your recipe on Serious Eats. De-freaking-licious.
"extract a ton of garlic flavor while inhibiting allicin"
* Brad Leone will remember this *
lol, on his hit list now
It's like a 2 part epoxy
@@hangedups2608 why? D:
Cmygo Z Because of the Rapaport thing ?
Hugo Hugenotten how is Sohla a bitch? She helped expose the racism within conde nast
I'm spoiled in Philly with cook and solo restaurants. Michael Solomonov is a fantastic chef.
There's a family owned and operated falafel drive up on Steven's Creek Blvd near the San Jose airport...their falafels in a pita are worth the wait (get there early) and get the banana milk shake.
Honestly a great comparison is the texture of ground weed. When I tried this recipe at home I was shocked at how similar the texture was. Tasted great btw.
Love this
DUDE I’ve been waiting for you to post a falafel recipe!! Thanks!
Mason E I love kenji but this falafel recipe ain’t it.. there are a ton of better falafel recipes out there by middle eastern chefs. I would suggest the falafel recipe by chef ahmad here on UA-cam. Very similar to what you would find in the streets of old jerusalem
@@veraateeq6705 I agree
Looks awesome. How do you dispose of all of the extra oil from frying??
Hey Kenji, would you mind making a video showing your knife collection. I remember you recommending a few throughout your videos but I don't remember which videos you mentioned them in.