Falafel
Air-Fried • Crisp Outside • Soft Inside
Falafel is traditionally deep-fried, but this version is made in the air fryer for a lighter finish while still keeping that familiar crisp outside and soft, flavourful centre. Made with soaked chickpeas, roasted garlic, herbs, spices and a little semolina for structure, these falafel work beautifully in wraps, bowls or simply served on their own with a dip.
Recipe Details
Prep / Total Time: 25 mins
Cuisine: Arab / Middle Eastern
Category: Vegetarian
Serves: 4
Nutrition / Macros — Full Recipe:
Calories: 387 kcal
Protein: 17 g
Carbs: 57 g
Fat: 9 g
Recipe Highlights
♥ Air-fried instead of deep-fried
♥ Crisp outside, soft inside
♥ Made with soaked chickpeas
♥ High in fibre and plant-based protein
♥ Great for wraps, bowls or snacking
Ingredients
- Chickpeas — 80 g
- Onion — 25 g
- Semolina — 10 g
- Roasted garlic — as required
- Sesame seeds — 3 g
- Green chilli — as required
- Red chilli — as required
- Coriander powder — as required
- Cayenne pepper — as required
- Salt — to taste
- Parsley — as required
- Cardamom powder — as required
- Black pepper — as required
- Cumin — as required
Method
1. Soak the Chickpeas
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of cold water.
The water should sit roughly 3 inches above the chickpeas.
Leave them to soak overnight.
The chickpeas will expand significantly as they soak, so use a bowl large enough to allow for this.
2. Drain & Prepare
Once soaked, drain the chickpeas completely and rinse them well.
Transfer them to a food processor.
Add the chopped onion, roasted garlic, parsley, semolina, salt, cumin, coriander powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cardamom powder.
Add the green chilli and red chilli according to your preferred spice level.
3. Process the Mixture
Pulse everything together until a rough, coarse mixture forms.
Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the processor so everything blends evenly.
Continue processing until the texture sits somewhere between couscous and a paste.
Do not blend until completely smooth.
The mixture should remain slightly coarse but should hold together when pressed.
4. Add Sesame Seeds & Rest
Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Add the sesame seeds and mix well with a fork so they are distributed evenly throughout the falafel mixture.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a short while.
Chilling helps firm the mixture and makes shaping easier.
5. Shape the Falafel
Using wet hands or a falafel scoop, shape the mixture into round balls or small flattened patties.
About 1 tablespoon of mixture per falafel works well, although you can make them slightly smaller or larger depending on your preference.
Press them gently so they hold together without becoming too compact.
6. Air-Fry
Preheat the air fryer if required by your model.
Arrange the falafel in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one.
Air-fry at 180°C for 10–15 minutes, turning them midway through cooking.
Cook until the outside is golden and crisp and the centre is cooked through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot with your favourite dip, chutney or yogurt-based sauce.
They also work well in pita or wraps with salad, onion and sauce, or added to a grain or salad bowl.
Tip
Do not over-process the chickpea mixture. If it becomes completely smooth, the falafel can turn dense rather than light and crumbly inside.
Chilling the mixture before shaping also helps the falafel stay together better during air-frying.
Ipshita’s Note
Falafel is usually deep-fried, but I wanted to see how well it would work in the air fryer. Keeping the mixture slightly coarse and allowing it to chill before shaping makes a big difference — you still get that crisp outside while the centre stays soft and nicely textured.
