A treat for vegans. Bite into that brownish deep-fried or baked vegie balls known to most as falafel. Falafel tastes a bit grainy because it is usually made from ground fava beans or chickpeas, or sometimes both.
This vegetarian ball is said to be an Egyptian recipe that has become famous in different Western Asian countries and we are sharing with you some helpful information about how to reheat those yummy falafel balls.
Can you heat falafel without changing its taste and texture? Sure, you can, and it is quick and easy to do. You can make sure it is heated well in an oven. Using your oven is the best way to heat those falafel balls to make it crispy and you will not need extra oil on your dish to do it.
You can also use a toaster or a skillet on stovetop to heat it and we will walk you through some easy steps especially when you will heat a chilled falafel.
Various Ways To Reheat Falafel
Falafel like other kinds of food is preserved and served well depending on how we store, cook, or reheat them.
It is important that we know the best way to do it, and what kitchen appliance or wares we can use so that our food will remain fresh, yummy and safe to eat.
Deep Fry
Deep-frying falafels are what others commonly do because it is quite easy and what we need to do deep-frying are available in the kitchen.
It is not totally a bad idea if the oil is heated well before deep-frying and falafels are deep-fried in medium heat to ensure the core of the balls are well cooked without burning the outer layer. However, because of the oil it will become greasy and if not deep-fried properly its core may not be well-cooked. If you are reheating falafels this way, its core may not be reheated enough.
Skillet
Warming falafels on a skillet is also a traditional and simple way to do it. It can make falafels crispy and it is not as tedious as deep-frying.
Prepare your skillet with enough oil for the falafels you want heated.
Be sure to preheat the skillet and oil. Put in the falafel balls when it is hot enough and roll it on the skillet for not more than 6 minutes.
Another option is to slice the falafel balls open to ensure that its core is heated well. This technique also helps the falafels to be crispier.
Toaster Oven or Conventional Oven
If you want a less tedious method of reheating your falafel balls, you can choose to use the toaster oven.
Using a toaster oven to heat falafels is just the same as heating them in a regular oven but you need to leave enough space for the air to flow in your toaster.
These are the simple steps to reheating falafel balls in a toaster oven or in a traditional oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Toaster oven needs to be preheated too for at least 2 minutes.
- Use aluminum foils to loosely wrap falafel balls before placing them in the oven. This will ensure that moisture is retained while heating and falafels will not dry out.
- Heat falafel balls from 5 to 15 minutes considering the amount of falafel balls you are reheating. Bigger quantity takes much longer time than smaller quantity of falafel balls to reheat.
- Flip falafel balls after half the heating time to ensure it is reheated thoroughly.
Keep in mind that it is not recommended to use aluminum foil inside a microwave as this can be poisonous, but you can use it in the conventional oven or toaster.
Reheating Falafel The Right Way
One method of preventing your falafel balls from drying out while reheating in an oven is to sprinkle some water on it but overdoing it may turn the balls soft and too damp.
When reheating over a skillet, make sure there is just enough oil to prevent if from becoming too greasy and soggy.
While frying falafel balls, you should flip each of the balls between time intervals to prevent it from being burnt and to ensure it is thoroughly heated till the core. Be sure to remove the falafel balls from oil right after frying so it will not get soaked and soggy.
Each person prefers how the dish is, others may like it deep-fried, others may like it baked but the best thing is, we can enjoy eating crispy and newly cooked falafel balls.
If you need to store falafel dough for a few days, you can pack it in an airtight food container or sealable freezer bags and keep it the fridge to prevent molds and unwanted microorganisms from growing in it.
How Falafels Are Made
Falafels are either baked or deep-fried balls or patties made from ground chickpeas or fava beans mixed with herbs or spices like ground coriander and cumin to taste. Others add minced or ground vegetables to make falafel variants.
Also called “Felafel” in other countries, this is considered a certified vegan food.
How do we make falafel balls? Here is a simple how to.
- Soak chickpeas or fava beans in an our or two.
- Drain the beans and ground to finest and since it is wet, you already have a bean dough.
- Add your desired minced or ground spices like cumin, coriander, garlic, parsley, and even vegetables of your choice to enhance the flavor.
- Mix or knead to make the falafel dough.
- Cut dough into your preferred shape and size if you want to be artistic and sway away from the typical round shape.
- Deep-fry or baked your falafels and serve warm.
Others love to wrap falafel patties into a pita or make it into a sandwich.
Related Questions
If you enjoyed reading our article, we have more for you. Keep reading on these chunks of info.
Is falafel better when fresh or when reheated?
When falafel is made from fresh dough, baked, or deep-fried, it is guaranteed to be the best, but making falafel balls from frozen dough or reheating refrigerated falafel balls does not really make it at all bad.
Remember that the way we handle our food like storing and cooking them are the sole factor that will make our food best or not.
Also, each of us has different tastes on food, I may like it better when reheated and you might not. Anyhow, it will still be best with breads, eggs, hummus, and whatever sauce of your choice be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
How long can I reheat falafel?
You always need to be careful when reheating food. Overdoing it will spoil the texture if not the taste of the food and so thus with falafel balls.
You can reheat falafel for not more than 10 minutes in an oven or over a stovetop in a skillet but be sure to turn it over to prevent it from getting burnt.
How should I freeze falafels?
You can freeze uncooked falafel balls but be sure to place each ball on a cookie sheet, a wax paper, or individually wrap it in plastic food wrap so it will not stick together. Then, place the balls atop each other on an airtight food container with lid before freezing them. In this packaging, it will be best to consume for almost 6 months.
To freeze cooked falafel balls or patties, you can do the same to avoid it from sticking together. Individually wrap it in a plastic food wrap, a wax paper or in a cookie sheet before placing them carefully in a food container with lid. Because it is less likely to stick unlike the uncooked ones, you can stack them carefully in a freezer bag. You can freeze it for about 3 months.
Another technique is pre-freezing them. Once they are frozen for an hour, take it out from the freezer, stack them carefully in a container or plastic bag and then put it back into the freezer.
What health benefits can I get from eating falafel?
Falafel is known to be delicious, but people seldom know that it is very nutritious too.
Chickpeas are high in protein and fiber which are good for our digestive and cardiovascular systems. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals like the B vitamins, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and folate.
It contains very low calories thus it is good for those who wanted to lose weight. It is also rich in healthy fats, so it does not pose any risks to those with high cholesterol level.
