HOW TO MAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dried chickpeas

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tbs coriander seed, lightly crushed

1½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups packed cilantro leaves

2 cups packed parsley (no long stems) Canola oil, for frying

METHOD

Place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl, and cover with cool water by a few centimetres. Let them sit overnight.

Drain the chickpeas into a colander, discarding the soaking liquid.

Combine the onion and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add the crushed coriander seed and drained chickpeas; pulse just until the chickpeas are reduced to smaller chunks. Stop to shove the mixture around with a spatula.

Add the salt, cumin and pepper; process until the mixture is finely chopped but not puréed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl as needed.

The mixture should resemble coarse meal, not a smooth hummus. It should mostly hold together when you press a clump in your hands.

(If your food processor isn’t big enough to hold all the ingredients, especially after you add the herbs in the next step, process the mixture in two batches.)

Add the cilantro and parsley to the falafel mixture in the food processor; pulse until the herbs are finely chopped and evenly distributed.

Test the mixture again by trying to shape it into a mound. Continue to process until it keeps its shape.

When you’re ready to fry, heat 5cm of oil in a deep, heavy pot over medium to medium-high heat, to 190°C.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels, then seat a wire cooling rack on top.

Use a 4cm ice cream scoop, disher or your hands to form a total of 30 to 40 slightly mounded disks that are about 4cm wide. Using this shape, rather than a ball, helps to promote even cooking.

Carefully add 6 to 8 falafel at a time to the hot oil; cook for 1 to

1½ minutes, or until they are browned and cooked through.