Confused (and traumatised!) by falafel

[MyNamesGaryAndImAddictedToChips]

Last night I made falafel for the first time, using dried chickpeas, which I had soaked for 12 hours and rinsed. I was rudely awoken at 4 am with the worst stomach cramps I think I've ever had, followed by several visits to the loo. 😪 DH also ate them and was unaffected.

I've eaten shop bought falafel with no ill effects, and made chana masala with tinned chickpeas with no problem. It was just this time. As you can imagine I'm loathe to repeat the experience!

So, the question is, can you make falafel from tinned chickpeas? I keep reading online that no, you can't BUT then I see loads of recipes doing just that. Anyone got any experience?

If you've seen loads of recipes using tinned chickpeas, then isn't the answer yes?

Also, I sympathise because I love chickpeas but can't eat them. Tinned are better than dried and soaked, though. From Google...

"Chickpeas are generally a high FODMAP food due to their galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) content. However, if you eat ¼ cup or less of canned chickpeas that have been rinsed and drained, they are actually low FODMAP. This is because FODMAPs are water-soluble and leach out of the chickpeas into the brine of the can."

Did you boil them too?

How did you cook them? Best falafel are made from raw soaked then cooked chickpeas - they are high in fibre as well so can give you bowel issues if you are not used.

you can use tinned - they just tend to fall apart more so need more fillers to get them to stick together

How do you know the chickpeas are to blame as your DH was fine?
Usually food poisoning affects everyone who eats it, unless you have some kind of intolerance to one of the other falafel ingredients/spices?

It’s not food poisoning …

@flyingant There may be recipes, doesn't mean they're any good! The FODMAP info is interesting, thanks.

@Hugesunflower I didn't boil them, no. The recipe was just soak them then process all the ingredients before frying.

@TheShiningCarpet Ahhh, fillers... got it. I think if I can face them again I will have to try it out. I've just seen so many saying DO NOT use canned chickpeas! I won't be using raw ones again that's for sure.

@SummerFeverVenice as ShiningCarpet said, it wasn't food poisoning, just seems I am unable to digest the bloody things.

I soak for longer, more like 24 hours, to help break them down. If you can manage to get the skins off that will help too.

Keep it up though, your stomach will develop the necessary bacteria for future falafels!

Just buy the Alfez mix and be done with all the faff.

Chickpeas for falafel work best if you soak them for about 36 hours, changing the water every 12 hours.

That’s what I do.

I always make falafel with tinned chickpeas - the recipe I follow says to use tinned and the dried ones seem a faff.

It might just be that your body is reacting to the fibre.

Dried chickpeas really well soaked in several changes of plain water is traditionally the way to make them, but <whispers> I prefer the texture when made with canned chickpeas.

@CheeseSandwichRiskAssessment What, sort of like, "Build it and they will come"? (Sorry, showing my age there...) Also, "No pain, no gain!" I'm not sure I can go through that again. Maybe, like having a baby, I'll have to wait till I forget the true horror.

@JanefromLondon1 I'll have a look but trying to cut out upf. Wasn't expecting the food to fight back.

@NerdWhoEatsMedlar Really?? Truthfully I can't see myself ever being organised enough to make a meal I have to start a day and a half in advance!

@Changingplace @Lopine Thanks. I think I'm going to give it a go.

I tend to use tinned and a couple of big spoons of gram flour if the mixture looks a bit wet. Despite using basically the same recipe (from my head) the mix seems to be different every time 🤷🏼‍♀️

Dh makes them using soaked dried chickpeas (usually puts them in hot water to soak around 12 hours before). I think I use tinned because I'm not organised enough to remember to put them in to soak

I don't get the reaction you did but we do eat an awful lot of legumes/pulses. Of course it could have been entirely unrelated?

I imagine my tummy would react the same if they were not boiled.
I am a lazy git though so generally just buy them. Haven't used dried chickpeas in years. Tinned for everything

Agree probably needed longer soak - I usually soak about 18 hours but also simmer separately for at least 30 minutes.

I'm in awe of you all taking so much time over food!!

Sorry no advice but the thread title made me think of a thread a couple of years ago when the OP's husband had eaten some fat balls she had made for the birds as he thought they were falafel.

If you use tinned, as other poster has said you can add some gram flour as filler - they tend to burst apart if fried using tinned but do very well baked…you can give them a mop with some oil if you want crispy I always bake anyway as I am eating low fat (they still taste great!)

What about trying ta'amiya instead, similar but different abd imo much nicer and uses fava beans

https://sugarandgarlic.com/egyptian-falafel-best-recipe-taamiya/

You should always cook dried chickpeas. They contain toxins that aren't easily broken down and can make some people violently ill.

They were cooked - they were fried.

Op all the recipes seem to suggest the chickpeas need to be soaked for 24 hours - maybe they weren't soaked long enough ?

however if your Dh was unaffected maybe you just had stomach cramps which happened to be on the same day as you tried the new falafel recipe and it's nothing to do with the falafel at all.

It made not have been the falafel that made you sick. You only made it last night and were sick early in the morning. It could be food poisoning, but that usually has a longer incubation period. You also said your husband did not get sick, despite eating the same.

I'd look towards something you had eaten that morning or even the day before as the source of your illness.

Yes, tinned chickpeas work for falafel (though texture might differ). Your stomach woes might be unrelated (soaking issues, spices?). Give tinned chickpeas a try with a recipe (details available on Menudale) designed for them!