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A plate with eight round falafel balls and a small bowl of green dipping sauce, likely chimichurri or herbed oil, on a light speckled plate.

Falafel with Zhug Sauce

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Falafel made from dried chickpeas soaked overnight and never boiled, blitzed with cilantro, parsley and mint, fried and served with a green zhug.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Falafel Mixture
  • 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight
  • 1 cup cilantro picked
  • 1 cup parsley picked
  • ½ cup mint picked
  • 6 scallions sliced, white and light green parts
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
For Frying
  • 2 cups avocado oil
Zhug Sauce
  • ¼ tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 green cardamom pods seeds only, toasted
  • 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 4-6 Thai bird chiles roughly chopped, to taste
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 cup parsley leaves loosely packed
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves loosely packed
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Mixing bowl
  • Mortar and pestle (or spice grinder + blender)
  • Thermometer
  • Baking sheetPaper towels
  • Slotted spoon or spider
  • Cast iron skillet or sauté pan

Method
 

Make the Falafel Mixture
  1. In a food processor, combine soaked (uncooked) chickpeas, herbs, scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt.
  2. Pulse until the mixture is finely minced and holds together when pressed.
  3. Scrape down the sides for even texture.
Shape and Chill
  1. Roll the mixture into 1-tbsp balls.
  2. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Fry the Falafel
  1. Fill a skillet with ½ to ¾ inch of avocado oil and heat to 375°F.
  2. Fry falafel in batches, waiting 10–20 seconds between adding each ball.
  3. Cook 4–5 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.
  4. Transfer to paper towels and season with kosher salt.
Make the Zhug
  1. Grind spices (coriander, cumin, pepper, and cardamom) into powder.
  2. Add garlic, chiles, and salt and mash into a paste.
  3. Gradually incorporate parsley and cilantro, pounding as you go.
  4. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while mixing until emulsified. Season to taste.
To Plate
  1. Serve hot falafel with a generous spoon of zhug.
  2. Optional: pair with warm pita, tahini, hummus, or pickled turnips.

Notes

For seasoning, I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton, use half.
Storage: fried falafel keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days; re-crisp in a 375°F oven for 5–7 minutes. The zhug keeps refrigerated, sealed, for up to a week.

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