Palestinian falafel — made from raw dried chickpeas (never canned, never cooked), soaked overnight and ground fresh, shaped and deep-fried — is categorically different from falafel made with cooked chickpeas. The raw chickpea falafel has a specific coarse interior texture with a deeply crispy exterior that the cooked-chickpea version cannot achieve. The raw chickpea releases its own starch during frying, creating an interior that is simultaneously dense and airy — the paradox that defines great falafel.
- **Dried chickpeas only:** Soaked overnight, completely raw. No cooking before grinding. This is where Palestinian falafel lives or dies. [VERIFY] Khan's chickpea specification. - **The grinding:** The soaked chickpeas ground in a food processor until they form a coarse, sand-like texture — not a smooth paste. Coarse-ground falafel has a better interior texture than over-processed smooth paste. - **The herbs and aromatics:** Parsley, coriander (both fresh herbs, in abundance), onion, garlic, cumin, coriander seed, salt, baking soda. The herbs must be ground with the chickpeas — not folded in after. [VERIFY] Khan's specific recipe. - **The baking soda:** Added immediately before frying — it creates CO₂ bubbles during the frying that aerate the interior slightly. - **The rest:** The mixture refrigerated 30 minutes after preparation — the starch in the raw chickpea hydrates further, improving the binding. - **Frying temperature:** 175°C. The falafel should sizzle actively from the moment it enters the oil — insufficient oil temperature produces a pale, oil-absorbed result. - **The shape:** Flattened discs (Palestinian) or ovals (Egyptian ta'amiya style). The flattened disc exposes more surface area to the oil — producing a higher exterior-to-interior crispy ratio. Decisive moment: The oil temperature test before frying. Place a small piece of falafel mixture in the oil — it should float to the surface immediately, surrounded by active bubbling. If it sinks and stays down: the oil is too cold. Fry all falafel immediately; waiting allows the baking soda to exhaust its CO₂ before the frying begins. Sensory tests: **The sound:** A vigorous, sustained sizzle from the moment the falafel enters the oil — indicating the oil is at temperature. **The crust colour:** Deep golden-brown to mahogany when removed — not pale (under-fried, soft interior, oily), not black (burned). **The interior:** Coarse-textured, bright green from the herbs (the green colour fades rapidly — falafel must be eaten within 30 minutes of frying), slightly dense but not gluey.
Zaitoun