How to reheat falafel

Falafel is a dish originating in Egypt, but widely consumed in western Asia. They are made by frying or baking.

You can store them before or after baking. A common observation is that they get hard or burn after reheating.

How can falafel balls be heated without losing their texture and flavor? The falafel balls can be reheated in a skillet, toaster oven, or oven. To ensure that the falafels heat up well, the oven is often the best method. This way, you won’t need to use any additional oil to reheat the falafels, which will keep them crispy.

In this article, we will look at the best ways to reheat falafel after it has been stored in the cold.

All the ways to reheat falafel

It’s always about the best way to keep and serve them warm without losing the falafel texture.

To choose a method, you must first consider the kitchen appliances you have and the texture you want for your falafel balls.

deep fry

If they are fried in the first place, you have to be careful not to deep fry them as most people think is necessary. This often leaves the balls oily and soggy.

You have to heat the oil well before putting the falafel balls in it. The downside to this is that the internal parts of the balls may not heat up properly.

Frying pan

You can also heat the falafel balls in a pan. This should take less time than it would with an oven. You can be sure that the balls will be crispy, and this method is even easier than frying.

You should use a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, like this one.

Put in the pan the oil that you consider enough for the number of balls you want to heat and if you want them dry or oily. If a sufficient amount of oil is used, the resulting balls will be crisp and not soggy.

Make sure the pan is very hot before you put the balls in it, which takes about 5 minutes.

You can also open the falafels before heating them, which makes the process more efficient and the balls are crispier.

Toaster oven or conventional oven

Another quick and easy way to heat up falafel is to do it in a toaster oven. You can put them in the toaster.

It is important to make sure that the toaster is not too full so that the air circulates smoothly.

Reheating falafels in a toaster oven is similar to reheating them in a regular oven. Here are the steps to reheat falafels in any type of oven:

• Preheat toaster oven or conventional oven to 350 degrees F
• Wrap the falafels loosely (not completely) in aluminum foil. This prevents the falafels from drying out.
• Heat the falafels for about 5-15 minutes, depending on their size. Smaller falafels will take less, and larger ones could take twice as long.
• For best results, flip the falafels halfway through reheating.

Note : DO NOT put aluminum foil in the microwave. Aluminum foil is only safe for the toaster oven or conventional oven.

Reheating the falafel correctly

To prevent over-drying into rock-hard balls, use a damp towel or bowl of water when heating with dry air.

Try to use as little oil as possible when using the pan or when frying. Too much oil would result in soggy and undesirable falafel balls.

Sometimes less is better. When frying, be sure to turn the balls at regular intervals so some sides don’t go unheated or burn.

If you leave one of the balls in contact with the oil for too long, they will become soggy in oil and unsightly to eat.

Despite the usefulness of all these processes in providing you with warmed falafel, this delicacy is best enjoyed fresh. It is best if the balls are freshly baked or fried.

It is advisable to make the amount of dough that you know you will need for the next few days, take what you need for the day while you keep the rest in the freezer, shape them and prepare them in the oven or fried.

How falafels are made

Falafel is a donut-shaped sandwich made with broad beans or chickpeas. The dough is garnished with spices and vegetables.

It features as street food or as part of the vegetarian diet around the world. Also called Felafel.

The beans are soaked, ground, and mixed into a batter with uncooked chickpeas and other ingredients such as garlic, coriander, parsley, and cumin.

The chickpeas are soaked for a few hours and then crushed. The falafel balls with chickpeas are a modification of the original recipe, originally from Israel.

The dough is molded into the desired shape and fried or baked.

They can be wrapped in taboon, which is a type of flatbread, or in a kind of pocket called a pita. The balls can also be wrapped in bread and eaten as a falafel sandwich, which is also a treat.

Related questions

Is fresh or reheated falafel better?

As stated, falafel balls taste amazing when made fresh. Although there are techniques to preserve them once prepared, reheating them requires patience and caution so as not to alter their flavor.

You can make an excess of falafel dough, shape them all, fry the ones you need and store the rest properly in the fridge.

People have different tastes and the only common point we can come up with is that most people perceive that fresh food tastes better than canned and reheated.

Your heated falafel balls can be enjoyed with fried eggs, hot sauce, tahini sauce, and hummus.

 How long should you reheat falafel?

You should heat them for the shortest amount of time possible to prevent them from burning and drying out. The warm-up usually lasts 3-5 minutes.

If it’s too long, especially in the oven, the result is very hard falafel balls. It takes about 20 minutes in the oven.

How to freeze falafel?

Uncooked Falafels - Mold the dough into the desired shapes on a cookie sheet. Next, place the tray in the freezer for half an hour so that the falafel balls freeze.

Take them out and transfer them to a freezer-safe bag to protect them well. Put them back in the freezer. They can be kept for about 6 months.

Cooked Falafels - First, prepare the falafel balls. Let them cool down. Put them on a baking tray and put them in the freezer for about an hour. Take them out and place them layer by layer in a freezer-safe bag.

Then, put them back in the freezer. If you want to place them in an airtight plastic container, you should separate them with waxed paper to prevent them from sticking together.