Iraqi Falafel
Iraq's lighter falafel: soaked chickpeas blitzed with cardamom and a heap of fresh herbs, deep-fried fluffy and stuffed into samoon bread.
Overview
Dried chickpeas soak in cold water 24 hours, the long soak hydrates them fully without cooking. Once drained, they are ground with onion, garlic, fresh coriander, parsley, dill, green chilli, cumin, coriander seed and ground cardamom to a coarse pale-green crumb. Bicarbonate of soda adds at the last minute for the open, fluffy interior. The mix chills for 30 minutes; small patties form; deep-fry at 175°C for 3 minutes until deep gold outside, fluffy and bright green inside. Eaten in warm samoon with the trimmings.
Ingredients
Falafel
- 250 g dried chickpeas (soaked in plenty of cold water 24 hours; not tinned)
- 1 onion (medium, roughly chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 green chilli (deseeded for mild, kept for hot)
- 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley (about 30 g)
- 1 large handful coriander leaves (about 30 g)
- 1 small handful dill (about 15 g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (the Iraqi signature)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional, for texture)
- 1 tablespoon plain flour (or chickpea flour)
- ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (added just before frying)
Tahini-yoghurt sauce
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- 4 tablespoons thick yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- Salt
- A tablespoon (or two of cold water, to loosen)
To serve
- 4 warm samoon (or pita / khobz)
- 2 tomatoes (sliced)
- 1 cucumber (small, sliced)
- 1 red onion (small, thinly sliced)
- 4 tablespoons amba (Iraqi mango pickle; optional but signature)
- 1 small handful parsley
- 1 teaspoon sumac
To fry
- 1 litre vegetable oil (or sunflower oil)
Method
Stage 1 - Soak (the day before)
- Cover the chickpeas with cold water by at least 5 cm; they more than double in size.
- Soak 24 hours at room temperature (or 36 in the fridge in summer).
- Drain and pat dry. Do not cook - cooked chickpeas give a wet, gummy falafel.
Stage 2 - Process
- Combine the drained chickpeas, onion, garlic, chilli, herbs, cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, salt and sesame seeds in a food processor.
- Pulse in short bursts, scraping down, until the mixture is fine and even but still has a coarse couscous-like texture (not a paste).
- Add the flour; pulse once more.
- Tip into a bowl; cover; chill 30 minutes (firms up; easier to shape).
Stage 3 - Sauce
- Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice; it will seize and look broken.
- Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, whisking, until smooth and the colour pales.
- Whisk in the yoghurt, garlic and a generous pinch of salt.
- Taste; adjust.
Stage 4 - Shape
- Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over the chilled mix; fold in evenly with a fork.
- Shape walnut-sized patties (about 35 g each), pressing firmly so they hold.
- Place on a tray.
Stage 5 - Fry
- Heat the oil to 175°C in a deep pan.
- Lower 4 falafel in at a time.
- Fry 3-3 ½ minutes, turning once, until deep gold and crisp.
- Cut one open to check: the inside should be bright green, fluffy and cooked through.
- Lift onto kitchen paper.
Stage 6 - Build
- Slit each warm samoon to open without splitting in half.
- Spread a spoonful of tahini-yoghurt inside.
- Stuff with 3-4 falafel; crush gently with a fork.
- Add sliced tomato, cucumber, red onion.
- Drizzle with more sauce; spoon over the amba.
- Scatter parsley and a pinch of sumac.
Notes
- Cardamom is the Iraqi marker: ½ teaspoon ground cardamom is what makes this Iraqi rather than Lebanese or Egyptian falafel. Worth measuring carefully; too much and it tips into sweet.
- Dried, not cooked, chickpeas: The long-soaked raw chickpea is non-negotiable. Cooked or tinned chickpeas turn to mush in the fryer.
- Bicarbonate at the last minute: Added too early it deflates. Fold in just before shaping.
- Amba pairing: Iraqi falafel in samoon without amba is incomplete; the sour-sweet-mango pickle is the signature condiment.
Variations
Baked: Brush with oil; bake at 220°C for 18 minutes, turning once. Lighter but the texture is denser. With chickpea flour crust: Roll each shaped patty in chickpea flour before frying for an extra-crisp crust. Green falafel: Double the parsley and add 50 g spinach for a deep-green Iraqi-style.
Serving
Serve in: warm samoon (Iraqi bread) with tahini-yoghurt, amba, sliced tomato, cucumber, red onion, parsley, sumac. Alternative: as a mezze plate with hummus, baba ganoush, pickles, flatbread. Drink: salted lassi, lemonade with mint, or strong black tea with cardamom.
Storage
- Best within 30 minutes of frying.
- Uncooked falafel mix keeps 24 hours refrigerated (add bicarbonate of soda only before shaping).
- Shaped raw falafel freeze 2 months; fry from frozen at 170°C for 4 minutes.
- Cooked falafel reheat at 200°C oven for 6 minutes; never microwave.
Recipes mentioned here
Samoon
A yeasted bread dough, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oil, warm water. First rise for 1 hour. Divided into 8 portions; each rolls into an oval football shape, pointed at both ends. Slashed lengthways with a sharp knife or razor. Second rise for 25 minutes. Baked at 220°C with steam (a tray of hot water at the bottom) until deep gold and the slash has opened.
Baba Ganoush
Aubergines char directly on a gas flame or under a hot grill until the skin is uniformly black and the flesh is collapsed inside. Steamed briefly under foil; peeled. Flesh chops, then mashes (don't blend, the texture is the point) with tahini, lemon, garlic, salt. Plate; pool olive oil; scatter pomegranate seeds and parsley.
Falafel
Dried chickpeas soak overnight, do not cook them. Blitz with onion, garlic, herbs and spices to a coarse green paste. Rest for 1 hour. A pinch of baking powder mixes in just before frying. Shape into balls; deep-fry at 175°C 4 minutes until darkly crusted. Stuffed into pita with hummus, tahina, salata, pickles.
More like this
Aroog
Fine bulgur (#1 grade) soaks in hot water until soft and fluffy. Lamb or beef mince mixes with the bulgur, grated onion, lots of chopped parsley and coriander, ground baharat, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. The mixture should be soft enough to spread, if it's too dry the aroog crumble. Small portions press onto a hot oiled pan and flatten to 1 cm thick discs; cook for 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat until deeply browned and the meat is just cooked through. Lift, drain briefly, eat hot with lemon and yoghurt.
Tameya
Dried split fava beans (sold as "split foul" or "ful asfar" at Egyptian or Middle Eastern shops) soak overnight (never cooked, that's the key). Once drained, the favas are blitzed with onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, dill, leek and a generous dose of cumin, coriander and chilli into a coarse green paste. Rested for 30 minutes; baking soda mixed in for fluffiness. Patties shape between palms; pressed into sesame seeds + crushed coriander seeds; deep-fried 175°C for 2-3 minutes per side until amber-crisp. Drained and stuffed into pita with tahini, salad and pickles.
Lahori Chapli Kebab
Minced beef is mixed with crushed coriander seed, anardana (pomegranate seed) for sourness, finely chopped onion, green chilli, ginger and a generous handful of chopped fresh coriander. Egg, gram flour and a small amount of cornflour bind the mixture loosely. The patties are pressed paper-thin (chapli means slipper, after the shape) and shallow-fried hot in beef fat or oil until the edges crisp and the centre stays juicy.
Lamb Achari
A Punjabi-inspired achari curry featuring pickle spices like panch poran and dried chillies, balanced with sweet mango chutney and tangy lime pickle. This dish captures the essence of Indian pickles in a rich, flavorful lamb curry.