Why do my falafels taste so boring? [closed]
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I've been making falafels from scratch for a few times now and I've started to get the hang of it. I've got the texture of the falafels pretty great but the flavour of them isn't really... anything?
I've been following this recipe as a guide, so I've been putting in tons of garlic, onion, coriander and parsely but the final product doesn't really taste like much, compared to the falafels at local restaurants.
I'm wondering if I need to up my salt game or maybe if the quality of the dried chickpeas has a big impact? I'm scared of oversalting but I am pretty generous with my salt and cumin. What makes a falafel taste good?
Best Answer
From a different answer:
When you're looking at a recipe and it's too bland, the first thing to ask yourself is "what more". What flavor isn't coming through that you'd like to come through? Is some ingredient overpowering everything else? Are the flavors too simple, or too subtle?
In the case of falafels, I would especially wonder whether you've used enough fresh herbs (note: dried parsley and dried cilantro leaf are useless non-entities), and whether your ground coriander and ground cumin have been sitting in the cupboard for a year and have lost their potency. Salt and garlic you can play with to taste. Keep in mind that nobody eats just a bowl of unadorned falafel. They need to have amped up flavors to serve the whole dish. It's okay if they're too strong when eaten by themselves.
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How do you get a falafel to stick together?
A binding ingredient can help keep it together, especially if you are using canned beans instead of dried. And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties.Why is my falafel bitter?
Another thing that will keep your falafel held together, beside flour, is a bit of sesame tahini in the mix (see also Can You Make Homemade Tahini?). Tahini is used to make a classic accompanying sauce but you can use it in the mix as well. It gives a bit of nutty flavor but too much will make it bitter.Why did my falafel melt in the oil?
If they are turning into mush it is likely because your temperature is too high on your frying pan. Try turning it down to medium or medium low. Also, one thing you might try when making your falafel mix is to use the coldest water possible in it. This will help the falafel to stick together when frying.Is falafel like Hushpuppy?
Falafel and an American hushpuppy are very similar. The hushpuppy is made from cornmeal, while the legumes like chickpeas and fava beans are being used for falafel. They tend to taste like spices and other ingredients.Falafel | Basics with Babish
More answers regarding why do my falafels taste so boring? [closed]
Answer 2
Salt is always one of the key aspect to flavourful food.
Also, how fresh are your spices ?
Also, also, adding too much garlic and onion (tons!!) might completely make the recipe unbalanced.
Answer 3
Maybe the restaurant where you eat uses hulled fava beans(broad beans), like most Egyptians, and that is accounting for the flavor difference. Other than that I would say experiment with increasing the salt amount
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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