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Falafel

Falafel is a deep‑fried chickpea patty seasoned with garlic, parsley, onion, coriander, cumin, cayenne, baking powder, and flour.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Coriander and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,866 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Falafel

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the chickpeas

  1. Place chickpeas in a bowl and cover with water; let them soak overnight.

  2. Drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas before using.

  3. Purée chickpeas in a food processor or blender.

Shape and fry

  1. Add the other ingredients (except oil) and process until well mixed.

  2. Shape mixture into balls, about 1 tablespoon each.

  3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium‑high heat.

  4. Add the balls and brown on all sides.

  5. Serve the falafel with pita.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1022Calories
31 gProtein
33 gFat
156 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Sunflower1 oz (28g) hulled165
Chickpea1/2 cup canned (120g) drained134
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Corn Oil1/2 cup kernels (82g)77
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Coriandernot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Coriander + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,866 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  2. Chickpea + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together473 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  3. Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  4. Chickpea + coriandertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together451 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  5. Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,082 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Chickpeas
Form the main body of the falafel, providing structure and a hearty texture.
Flour
Absorbs moisture and helps the mixture hold its shape during frying.
Baking powder
Releases gas that lightens the interior and gives the falafel a softer crumb.
Parsley
Adds fresh, green aroma and flavor to the mixture.
Garlic
Contributes pungent aroma that mellows during cooking.

The step that matters

Brown the balls on all sides in hot oil. Medium-high heat sears the outside quickly, forming a crisp crust that seals in moisture. Too little heat lets the balls absorb oil and turn greasy, while the interior may stay underdone if the surface browns too fast.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chickpea, clove, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, pepper):

  1. Spinachfits better
  2. Eggplantfits better
  3. Kalefits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against chickpea, clove, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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