From Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi

To be honest I have not tried this yet, I had a craving for falafels and had a box mix already in the house, so I used it, but they just weren’t that satisfying.  I am going to try this tomorrow using canned chickpeas (garbanzos) because I have some.  If that doesn’t work I am definitely getting some dried beans and doing it the way he explains in the recipe.  Falafels are perfect for this time of year, fresh chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers and I made a roasted pepper yogurt tahini sauce to go on top!  Yup, more roasted peppers.

1 1/4 cup dried Chickpeas

1/2 medium Onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup

1 clove Garlic, crushed

1 TB Parsley, finely chopped

2 TB cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp ground Cumin

1/2 tsp ground Coriander

1/4 tsp ground Cardamom

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

3 TB Water

1 1/2 TB All-Purpose Flour

About 3 cups Sunflower Oil, for deep frying

1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds, for coating

Salt

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least twice their volume.  Set aside to soak overnight.  The next day, drain the chickpeas well and combine them with the onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro.  For the best results, use a meat grinder for the next part.  Put the chickpea mixture once through the machine, set to its finest setting, then pass it through the machine for a second time.  If you don’t have a meat grinder, use a food processor.  Blitz the mix in batches, pulsing each for 30 to 40 seconds, until it is finely chopped, but not mushy or pasty, and holds itself together.  Once processed, add the spices, baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt, flour and water.  Mix well by hand until smooth and uniform.  Cover the mixture and leave it in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until ready to use.  Fill a deep, heavy-bottomed medium saucepan with enough oil to come to 2 3/4” up the sides of the pan.  Heat the oil to 350 F.  With wet hands, press 1 TB of the mixture in the palm of your hand to form a patty or a ball the size of a small walnut, about a scant 1 oz.  Sprinkle the balls evenly with sesame seeds and deep-fry them in batches for 4 minutes, until well browned and cooked through.  It is important they really dry out on the inside, so make sure they spend enough time in the oil.  Drain in a colander lined with paper towels and serve at once.