Reviewed: May 8, 2012

Oh holy moly - my first foray into the world o'falafels and I.am.hooked. My husband and I didn't even allow them to make it into the pitas I bought - we just stood at the stove and ate them plain (although I added some tahini to mine towards the end. Yum.) I followed directions almost exactly, just leaving out the cilantro due to a rather picky, cilantro-hating better half (is he really the better half if he hates cilantro? Hehe.) He immediately informed me that these need to make frequent appearances for dinner and then went to the kitchen to scrounge the leftover crumbs left on the plate. I already want to make them again. Like, tonight, less than 24 hours after my inaugural batch.

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Reviewer:

Nashville Nosher

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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Springfield, Tennessee, USA

Living In: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Reviewed: May 2, 2012

Loved this recipe! First time I tried making homemade falafel, and I will definitely keep this one. I added 1/2 cup of water to help it stick together, but that was the only thing I changed. I also followed someone else's suggestion of mixing mayo & Sriracha sauce (a.k.a. rooster sauce) for dipping, which was great, but the falafel was flavorful enough to eat plain.

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rugger13

Reviewed: Apr. 25, 2012

These are really good. If you find your falafel falls apart when you try to fry it, put the dough in the fridge for a few hours and then roll and fry. You can also roll them in a little flour, too, which helps them hold their shape in the oil.

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sbreedi1

Reviewed: Apr. 23, 2012

Very good in taste, but mine wouldn't stay together, and I didn't fry them . . .I used my slow cooker (seriously, it works). Still tasty, and worth making but I have to agree that it needs an egg. (I added water instead when it seemed crumbly bc I didn't want to add an egg, but that didn't work very well). how to make them okay for people who can't have eggs or are vegan or whatever, I can't say, but I'll try an egg next time. otherwise, very nice flavor and a good falafel. Thanks for the recipe.

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pomplemousse

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Pendleton, Oregon, USA

Living In: Dumfries, Virginia, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 11, 2012

Amazing falafel! Sometimes, if the mixture is not sticking very well, I just add a little bit of water. I also have used this same recipe and baked them in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes on both sides and it was fantastic. Just have to make the balls more as patties so they cook all the way through.

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angelcstac

Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2012

The mix was easy to prepare, and I always appreciate eggless recipes. But unfortunately, they fell apart in the oil. I've tried this twice, and it happened both times. In reading the reviews, I'm clearly not the only one who had this problem. So, perhaps this is an issue that should be addressed somewhere in the instructions -- how do you prevent them from falling apart?

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sns

Cooking Level: Beginning

Home Town: Houston, Texas, USA

Living In: Arlington, Virginia, USA

Reviewed: Feb. 28, 2012

Love to surprise my family with "Josie's test kitchen" recipes. This was my first try making falafel's and they came out great. Pan fried in olive oil and had to add just a little water to hold them together. Served them in pitas with tzitki, lettuce & tomato. Thanks for a sucessful Josie's test kitchen meal the family really enjoyed this.

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JosieLLL

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Uncasville, Connecticut, USA

Living In: Lemoore, California, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 24, 2012

Yum Yum Yum! These are wonderful especially if you use them in a sandwich. These are so good even my husband the meat eater likes them.

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SDEGRAW

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Jan. 18, 2012

Great, flavourful falafels! The only change I made was to fry them just for a minute on each side for colour and then baked them at 350 for 20 minutes. You could also just grease the pan for a lighter colour. I will do this next time and there will definately be a next time!

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terraterre

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Sundre, Alberta, Canada

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2012

I made these exactly as directed, with one crucial tip between steps 1 and 2: Freeze the falafel balls before frying. Just a couple hours in the freezer, then just throw them in the oil, no defrosting necessary. This helps the balls to keep shape without disintegrating in the oil (I do the same with Chinese fried spring rolls!). I kept them in the oil, flipping once until just brown on the outside (about 2 minutes), then stuck in the oven at 150C for 15-20 minutes to heat them through. Nice and crunchy on the outside, soft and flavourful on the inside!! Delicious!!!

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