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I have store-bought falafel mix. I make the falafel by deep-frying it; unlike others, I have no problem with the balls falling apart. However, after I put the falafel in the oil, it sticks to the bottom of the pot, and I have to pry it off using a spoon. Is there anything I can do to avoid this?

pigrammer
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  • How much water are you adding to the mix ? How hot is the oil ? How deep is the oil ? Does a layer steam form when the patty is initially immersed in the hot oil ? – AJN Feb 26 '23 at 04:41
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    Er, the felafel shouldn't even touch the bottom of the pot. When you drop them in, they should quickly bubble and float. How deep is your oil? – FuzzyChef Feb 26 '23 at 07:26
  • @FuzzyChef deep enough for them to float, as they do so after I pry it off. – pigrammer Feb 26 '23 at 12:40
  • Also, they do bubble. I use 3/4 of a cup of water for every 1 cup of mix, as it says on the box. – pigrammer Feb 26 '23 at 12:41
  • Sounds like a bad mix, then. They shouldn't be sinking to be bottom; it's clearly too dense. – FuzzyChef Feb 26 '23 at 21:44
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    Your oil might be too cold. It should heat the outside pretty quickly so the moisture evaporates and becomes steam, causing bubbling. If this were a larger item, I would recommend holding it in the oil for a few seconds to form a crust before releasing, but falafel are too small for that – Joe Feb 27 '23 at 01:39

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Based on your comments, there are three things you can do:

  1. Aggressively stir the oil as soon as you put the balls in so that they don't have a chance to stick.

  2. Use a different mix or even make your own from scratch, so that the balls aren't as dense and don't spend as much time on the bottom of the pot.

  3. Use a nonstick pot or cast-iron pan to avoid sticking.

FuzzyChef
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    I reflexively flinched a little at the word 'aggressively' being used to describe stirring boiling oil – although I'm not sure what a better word is to describe what you mean. – dbmag9 Feb 26 '23 at 23:07
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I'd recommend you to wait until pan is hot and oil is slightly smoking, then add falafels.

Other thing is, when you drop falafels in oil, the oil temperature drops, so when you put one in, give the pan a couple of seconds to heat back up then put the next one.

Other theory is, your pan needs a change, Good Luck tho!

Onluck
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