An easy falafel recipe featuring blackeyed peas; Middle Eastern soul food, why not!

They’re so good they made our list of best Blackeyed pea recipes.

What is a falafel?

Falafel is a traditional Arab food I’d describe as a vegetable fritter made from a legume. Choice of legume varies by region/country but chickpeas are most common. In countries like Egypt fava beans are preferred. Here, I used Blackeyed Peas to give it a soul food twist.

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I decided to go back to the Motherland to get some Zulu love in the form of her native beans, the blackeyed pea in place of the traditional chickpeas. Blackeyed peas grow wild in Africa, are great at absorbing flavors of other ingredients, and generally make a good twist on traditional falafel recipes.

Both chickpeas and blackeyed peas have a nutty flavor, but blackeyed peas have a more earthy and savory flavor profile. The absorptive qualities make it a good pairing with spices and mix of herbs hence some damn good black eyed pea falafel cakes!

Blackeyed Pea Falafel Ingredients 

• Smoked Sweet Paprika
• Black Pepper
• Kosher Salt
• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Peanut/Canola Oil

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Puree the Blackeyed Peas

Combine peas, onions, garlic and herbs in a food processor and puree. Transfer to a bowl and mix in flour and baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the falafel

Scoop out balls of the falafel mix, roll into oblong balls, then flatten to desired shape.

Step 3: Fry the Falafel

Fry falafel in a large skillet or fryer (@ 350 degrees F) for about 3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and let cool and drain on a cooling rack or paper towel lined pan

Serving Suggestions

Falafel is typically served with a tahini sauce. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, similar in texture to a thin peanut butter and usually made thinner with the addition of water and/or lemon juice.

I wanted a bit of smokiness so added some adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles plus some lime juice to get the desired consistency. I wanted more of a mayonnaise type consistency for what is essentially my falafel dip. 

Zhoug sauce is also a great condiment for these falafels.

Easy Falafel Recipe Cooking Tips

Falafel should have a crisp exterior with light, fluffy and moist but not pasty interior. And oh yeah you want the natural flavor of the legume to come through. To obtain these texture and flavor qualities there are a few things that need to happen:

• Ball size matters. Smaller is better for achieving a more crispy falafel. Think of it like this, the larger the ball then the more surface area there is to cook which impacts the ratio of inner moisture vs. crispy exterior
• Go heavy with the herbs, it’s a Middle Eastern dish after all! Ditto for spices as falafel can otherwise be pretty bland if not seasoned properly
• Use dried vs. canned blackeyed peas. Flavor-wise dried nets more intense, clean black-eyed pea flavor whereas you get that tin canned taste from the canned version. Even worse, it’s a bitch trying to get canned peas to bind.
• Use the overnight method of soaking the blackeyed peas. The quick-soak method doesn’t work because the peas need to be totally raw for optimal flavor and texture.
• Deep frying works better than shallow frying
• Chill the falafel mixture before frying to help with shaping

Are black eyed peas good for you?

Blackeyed peas have a lot of nutritional benefits. In addition to being low in fat and calories as well as high in iron, they are a good source potassium which helps to lower risk of heart disease. Also for non-meat eaters they are a good alternative source of protein.

Wouldn’t it be easier to use canned Black eyed peas to make falafel?

Yes, but I don’t recommend it. Clearly, canned is more convenient as it eliminates a step or two, but the trade-off is not worth in my humble opinion. Pre-cooked blackeyed peas means the starches have been released and thus washed out with the liquid leaving very little in the form of a binding agent.

At the end of the day they are more apt to disintegrate when fried in hot oil. If you go the way of canned, then be sure to up the amount of flour and baking soda used. 

For similar recipes you might like, try these:

Fried Blackeyed Peas

Instant Pot Blackeyed Peas w/ Cacia e Pepe

Blackeyed Peas and Rice aka Hoppin John

Blackeyed Pea Salad

Blackeyed Pea Soup

Classic Southern Blackeyed Peas

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