Calories and protein in four falafel, with and without oil
Also called ta'amiya.
The short answer
4 pieces, about 100 g, normal oil
260 kcal
8.5 g protein
Fat 14 g · carbs 26 g · fibre 5 g · Vegan
Portion: four medium falafel. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
Baked falafel sits close to the 'none' row. Deep fried ones sit between normal and a lot depending on the fryer.
With and without oil
The same 4 pieces, changing only oil soaked up while deep frying. Normal is about 11 g in this portion. A little halves the recipe’s fat and a lot doubles it, so in a portion of the same weight a lot comes out a little under double. These are the four levels the app asks about, with the same numbers.
| Oil | Added | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | 0 g | 180 kcal | 9.5 g |
| A little | 6 g | 220 kcal | 9 g |
| Normal | 11 g | 260 kcal | 8.5 g |
| A lot | 21 g | 320 kcal | 7.5 g |
What moves the number
- Kabuli chanaabout 140 kcal
- Oil (oil soaked up while deep frying)about 100 kcal
- Besanabout 10 kcal
The recipe behind these numbers
Raw ingredient weights in one 4 pieces, scaled from the batch recipe in the Homekcal app’s dish table, with normal oil. Water, salt and spices add almost no energy but are listed so the recipe is complete. If your version has more of something, the numbers move with it.
| Ingredient | Weight | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabuli chanaUSDA: Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw | 36 g | 140 | 7.5 g |
| WaterUSDA: Beverages, water, tap, drinking | 36 g | 0 | 0 g |
| OnionUSDA: Onions, raw | 8.5 g | 5 | 0 g |
| ParsleyUSDA: Parsley, fresh | 4.5 g | 0 | 0 g |
| Coriander leavesUSDA: Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw | 3 g | 0 | 0 g |
| GarlicUSDA: Garlic, raw | 1.5 g | 0 | 0 g |
| CuminUSDA: Spices, cumin seed | 0.5 g | 0 | 0 g |
| BesanUSDA: Chickpea flour (besan) | 3 g | 10 | 0.5 g |
| SaltUSDA: Salt, table | 0.5 g | 0 | 0 g |
| OilUSDA: Oil, canolaOil soaked up while deep frying | 11 g | 100 | 0 g |
What we could not match
Stand ins and assumptions in this recipe that a person still has to check.
- Oil absorbed in deep frying is estimated (about 10 to 15% of the fried weight); it varies widely with temperature and batter.
- Soaked (not cooked) chickpeas: the water listed is what dried chickpeas absorb when soaked.
How this was worked out
This is the same dish the Homekcal app logs, from the same table. Each raw ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its per-100 g values in USDA FoodData Central, the batch is added up and divided by the cooked weight it makes. Calories are rounded to the nearest 10 and grams to the nearest gram, because a standard recipe is not your recipe. These are calculated values, not weighed or lab tested meals, and home versions vary a lot.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2026. fdc.nal.usda.gov. Public domain (CC0).
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