Falafel on Hummus With Chopped Peppers and Tomatoes

20 mins Prep Time

30 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

Falafel! This popular Middle Eastern food is made from chickpeas, herbs and spices. Homemade falafel is deliciously fluffy and makes for a tasty vegan snack. If you are looking for a meal packed with tons of flavour, try this falafel and hummus plate. This is a bright and colourful dish composed of a plate of thick creamy hummus, seasoned diced tomatoes and peppers and topped with crispy, herby falafel. This dish is perfect as a sharing platter. Grab some pita and dig in with your family! There are layers of different textures on this plate, despite this dish being predominantly made from chickpeas.

Before committing to making this dish, the most important thing to know is that falafel can absolutely not be made with canned chickpeas. While canned chickpeas work for hummus, using canned chickpeas for falafel would result in a mushy mess in your frying pan. Nevertheless, save this recipe next time you are craving falafel or hummus and don't be intimidated by its multiple parts; just plan accordingly and get your hands on dried chickpeas.

Ingredients

Falafel

2 cups dried chickpeas (Do NOT use canned or cooked chickpeas)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
1 small onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Oil, for frying

Hummus

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups (250 grams) cooked chickpeas
2 teaspoons chickpea flour
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (roughly from 1 large lemon)
1/4 cup tahini (well-stirred)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Pinch of ground paprika

To Serve

1 tomato, diced
1 pepper (bell pepper or jalapeño pepper), diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Hummus

4 Steps

Step 1

Make your hummus first. In a food processor, add the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice.
Step 2

Remember to keep scraping periodically so everything blends smoothly.
Step 3

Open, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute.
Step 4

Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and quite smooth. You may need to add water a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. Adjust salt as needed. Set aside and make falafel.

Falafel

8 Steps

Step 1

Rinse the dried chickpeas then place into a large bowl and cover with cool water by about 4 inches.
Step 2

Cover and soak overnight or until the beans triple in size. Drain the soaked chickpeas, rinse and then pat dry or add to a salad spinner to spin dry.
Step 3

Add chickpeas, garlic, herbs, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper and the baking powder to a bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until very finely minced, but not pureed, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Pour into bowl, add chickpea flour and mix.
Step 4

Cover and refrigerate mixture for at least 2 hours.
Step 5

When ready to shape, use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of the falafel mix then gently shape it into a disk or ball. Refrigerate formed disks for 15 minutes.
Step 6

When ready to fry, heat oil in pan on medium. Use wide, deep frying pan to fry your falafel.
Step 7

If you have a thermometer, oil should be between 350°F and 375°F.
Step 8

Fry your falafel in batches and do not overcrowd. The falafel should cook for a total of 3 1/2 minutes to 4 minutes total, flipping once halfway to get a nice even brown colour on your falafel. Transfer the cooked falafel to a plate lined with paper towel, sprinkle with a little salt if you desire and set aside.

To Serve

3 Steps

Step 1

Mix tomatoes and peppers in a bowl and add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2

Spread hummus on the bottom of plate top with chopped seasoned tomatoes and peppers.
Step 3

Add falafel on top of hummus and drizzle with tahini sauce -- tahini mixed with lemon juice, water and salt to taste (optional).