International Falafel Day: Master the Chickpea Classic With Select Brands® Appliances

Falafel isn’t just street food—it’s the crispy, herb-packed bite that unites kitchens from Beirut to Brooklyn. Today we’re showing you how to blitz, blend, and fry your way to falafel glory using Select Brands™ countertop heroes: powerful food processors for the perfect crumb, high-speed blenders for silky tahini, and energy-smart fryers (air or oil) that deliver a golden shell every time.

A Bite of History: Where Falafel Began and how they made their way to our hearts

Falafel’s roots trace back to the sun-baked streets of Egypt more than a thousand years ago. Food historians believe Coptic Christians first blended dried fava beans, herbs, and spices into small patties—called ta’amiya—as a meat-free meal during Lent. The recipe traveled north along trade routes, swapping fava for chickpeas as it reached the Levant, where Lebanese and Syrian cooks added parsley, cilantro, and cumin to create the bright-green, chickpea-forward falafel we know today. By the early 20th-century, vendors from Cairo to Damascus were stuffing piping-hot fritters into pita with pickles and tahini, cementing falafel’s status as the Middle East’s ultimate street-food staple—and a global vegetarian icon.

Falafel crossed the Atlantic with successive waves of Middle-Eastern immigrants after World War II—first Syrian-Lebanese and Egyptian families who opened grocery cafés in New York City’s “Little Syria” and Brooklyn during the late 1940s, then a surge of Israeli, Palestinian, and Yemeni restaurateurs in the 1970s. As word spread, falafel stands popped up wherever sizeable Arab-American communities took root: Michigan’s Detroit–Dearborn corridor (now dubbed “Falafel Alley”), California’s Los Angeles and Bay Area, and Chicago’s North Side. In the 2000s, the boom in vegetarian and food-truck culture carried the fritter south and west—giving rise to cult mash-ups in Austin, Houston, and Portland, OR (think falafel tacos and beet-infused pink falafel). Today, from Broadway food carts to Pacific Coast farmers’ markets, these regional spins testify to how a centuries-old street snack became a beloved pillar of America’s plant-based scene.

Quick shop: Explore blenders, food processors, air fryers & deep fryers at SelectBrands.com

Why Choose a Small Appliance for Falafel?

Appliance Line-Up for Falafel Day

Kitchen Selectives™ Food Processor – pulse soaked beans, herbs & aromatics to perfect “grain of sand” texture.

Kitchen Selectives™ Mini Blender – whip a 1-minute lemon-garlic tahini sauce.

Toastmaster® Air Fryer – oil-misted falafel, crispy in 12 minutes.

Toastmaster® Deep Fryer – classic frying with adjustable thermostat & mess-free basket.

Babycakes® Mini Cake Pop Maker – surprise falafel “bites” for kids’ lunchboxes (no hot oil required).

Base Recipe #1 – Authentic Lebanese / Syrian Falafel (Chickpea + Fava)

Ingredients (24 balls)

• 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked 18 h
  
• 1 cup dried split fava beans, soaked 18 h
  
• 1 lg onion, quartered
  
• 4 cloves garlic
  
• 1 cup parsley leaves
  
• ½ cup cilantro leaves
  
• 2 tsp ground cumin
  
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp black pepper
  
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Prep: Food Processor Method

1. Drain beans; pat dry.
   
2. In Kitchen Selectives™ Mini Chopper, pulse onion & garlic → coarse mince.
   
3. Add beans, herbs, spices, baking soda; process 30 sec until mixture resembles coarse sand, not hummus.
   
4. Fold in sesame seeds; chill 30 min (firms up).

Serve with pickled turnips, fresh mint, and blender-made tahini sauce.

Cook 3 Ways

Base Recipe #2 – Jordanian / Egyptian Fava-Forward Falafel

Key Twists

• 100 % fava beans → softer interior, deep green color.
  
• Add 1 tsp ground dried cilantro seed + pinch of crushed red pepper.

Everything else mirrors Recipe #1. Shape slightly flatter patties for even frying.

Base Recipe #3 – Potato-Powered Falafel (Budget-Friendly)

Ingredients (20 patties)

• 2 med russet potatoes, baked & cooled
  
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained)
  
• ½ cup green onion, sliced
  
• ½ cup parsley
  
• 2 Tbsp chickpea flour (binds)
  
• 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp smoked paprika, salt & pepper
  

Pulse everything in the Kitchen Selectives™ Mini Chopper just until combined. Chill, then air-fry at 400 °F for 10 min per side. Great in pitas with yogurt-dill sauce.

Blender Bonus: 60-Second Tahini Sauce

• ½ cup tahini
  
• Juice of 1 lemon
  
• 1 garlic clove
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• ⅓ cup ice-cold water

Blend on Low 15 sec, ramp to High 30 sec in the Kitchen Selectives™ Mini Blender. Sauce turns pale and fluffy—restaurant style.

Eco & Safety Advantages of Small Appliances

(Energy estimates: U.S. Dept. of Energy Small Appliance Study, 2024)

Falafel FAQs 

• Can I freeze air-fried falafel? Yes—cool, flash-freeze, store 3 months. Reheat in the Toastmaster Air Fryer 5 min at 350 °F.
  

• Why did my falafel fall apart? Pulse beans while dry; add 1 Tbsp chickpea flour if needed and chill 30 min.
  

• Is baking soda necessary? A pinch lightens texture and boosts browning; omit and fry 1 min longer.

Ready to Fry the Sustainable Way?

1. Shop Toastmaster® Air Fryers → oil-mist crispy falafel.
   

2. Grab a Kitchen Selectives™ Food Processor → perfect chickpea grind.
   

3. See all Select Brands gadgets that turn global recipes into weeknight staples.
   
   

SelectBrands.com | Small appliances, big flavor—Happy International Falafel Day!