Dried chickpeas – 1 cup soaked for 24 hours (this will give you 3 cups after they have soaked)
Small red onion – 1 (roughly chopped)
Garlic – 3 cloves (minced)
Fresh parsley – 1 cup
Fresh cilantro – 1 cup
Cumin seeds – 1-1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1-1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper – 1/4 tsp (or to taste)
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
All-purpose flour – 2 tbsp
Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
For the tahini sauce:
Tahini – 1/2 cup
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
A pinch of salt
Water – 1/2 cup
Instructions
Now drain the chickpeas and rinse them over thoroughly, you will probably have around three cups of soaked chickpeas now.
Since it is a huge batch let’s work in two batches, drop in half of the chickpeas, garlic, parsley, cilantro and onion into the food processor and then until you get a paste which holds together when pinched, transfer it into a bowl and blend the remaining ingredients.
Dry toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds until fragrant in a small skillet.
Grind them using a mirror and pestle until almost smooth. Add it into the chickpeas mixture along with some flour, lemon juice, salt and baking soda and give it a quick mix.
Cover the bowl using plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge for an hour.
Take a heavy bottom pan filled with vegetable oil and let it heat up to 375 degrees.
Make golf ball size falafel balls and fry them until deep golden brown. This might take a minute so stay there and get it fried.
Drain them in a plate lined with a paper towel and get the remaining done.
For the sauce:
Take a bowl and whisk tahini, salt and lemon together.
Tahini will begin to get thick and dry this is normal you can add water little at a time and it will loosen into a creamy thick pale grey sauce.
Notes
Yummy crispy falafel is ready to serve. You can serve it on a salad with some lemony falafel or pile it up with some lettuce, tomatoes and onions in pita bread.
If you are planning to bake the falafel here you go, make 2-inch round patties, place them on a nonstick baking sheet and bake the patties at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Flip them to the other side and brush some olive oil and bake again for another 15 minutes.
Note when you pop the mixture out of the fridge you may think they are loose and might split but they will hold perfectly.
Remember that the oil is at 375 degrees and you fry only a couple at a time. If you drop in a lot then the temperature will drop and the falafel will disintegrate and you will hardly have anything there.
They are gorgeous and not compacted. It is lovely. Why don’t you try them yourself?