By Rajlakshmi
June 3, 2026
Falafel, all the way from the Middle East, is healthy and full of nutrients as it is made of chickpeas coarsely grinded along with mint and coriander leaves and everyday basic spices. If guilt-free snacking had a name, falafel would be it!
1½ cups chickpeas, soaked for 8 hours and drained Oil for deep-frying 8-10 garlic cloves 1 medium onion, sliced 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves ¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs 2-3 tbsp white sesame seeds 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder ½ teaspoon baking soda Salt to taste Crushed black peppercorns to taste Tomato ketchup, for serving
Coarsely grind chickpeas in an electric food processor. Add garlic cloves and grind again.
Add onion, parsley, coriander leaves and 2-3 tablespoons of water and grind to make a coarse mixture. Transfer to a bowl.
Add breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, coriander powder, cumin powder, baking soda, salt and crushed peppercorns and mix well.
Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape into tikkis. Deep-fry each tikki in hot oil until golden and crisp.
Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with tomato ketchup!