Homemade Falafel

Serve homemade falafel on warm pita sandwiches with mustard, tahini (sesame paste) sauce or hummus, and tomato/cucumber salad.
Or serve it any way you like!

Ingredients:

2 cups dry chickpeas (do not use canned or cooked chickpeas!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup fresh dill, stems removed
1 small onion, quartered
7-8 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. (Start the day before) Place the dry chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water (the chickpeas should be covered by at least 5 cm). Soak overnight for 18 hours (if chickpeas are still too hard, soak longer). Then drain the water and drain the chickpeas.
2. Place the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices in a large bowl of a food processor. Pulse in 40 second intervals and repeat until everything is well combined and you have a falafel mixture.
3. Pour the falafel mixture into a container and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until you are ready to fry.
4. Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and stir with a spoon.
5. Using damp hands, scoop the mixture into the falafel mixture and shape into patties (each about 1 cm thick).
6. Add oil (7-8 cm) to a medium-sized frying pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble gently. Carefully place the falafels in the oil and let them fry for about 3-5 minutes (until they are crispy and medium brown on the outside). Do not overcrowd the pan; cook the falafels in batches if necessary.
7. Place the cooked falafels in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Yield: 24 falafels
Recipe: themediterraneandish.com