Perfect Falafel.

This recipe is from Chef Steve at Vivaldi restaurant in Toronto, Canada, but it's a simple, straightforward falafel recipe. I adore falafel, and making it at home can be both delicious and enjoyable.

Annotated Cooking Notes: Two things about making homemade falafel. You really want to keep the oil temperature low; it will keep your falafel tender. Secondly, it's worth getting a falafel press. Since you need to soak the chickpeas overnight, you can easily order one from Amazon ahead of time. They are cheap and really do make a superior ball.

Ingredients

Dried chickpeas — 1 cup (soaked ~12–24 h, drained & rinsed)

Yellow (or white) onion, coarsely chopped — about ½ small onion

Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (or minced) — ~3–4 cloves

Fresh parsley, chopped — ~¼ cup (or more, e.g. ¼–½ cup depending on how “herby” you want)

Fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), chopped — ~¼ cup (or similar to parsley)

Salt — ~1.5 teaspoons (adjust to taste)

Ground cumin — ~1 teaspoon

Ground coriander — ~1 teaspoon

6 TBs chickpea flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 Tbs sesame seeds

Neutral oil for frying ( Vegetable or Canola.)

Tahini Sauce

Tahini: Sesame puree (about 1/2 cup).

Liquid: Lemon juice (1/4 cup) and cold water (1/4 cup).

Seasoning: Two garlic cloves, salt (1/2 teaspoon), and cumin (about 1/4 teaspoon).

Directions

Soak the chickpeas in water overnight with 1/4 tsp baking soda.

Roughly chop the onion, parsley, and coriander, and put them in a food processor.

Pulse the processor until the mixture is a coarse sand, then add the spices.

Add in spices and pulse until mixed.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the sesame seeds.

Add 1/2 tsp baking soda.

Add the chickpea flour and mix until well incorporated.

Blend all the tahini ingredients.

You can buy a falafel press from Amazon or use a tablespoon, and press the mixture into balls.

Warm oil to 320°F and fry the balls in batches; don't overcrowd the pan. They should cook in about 3 minutes until golden brown.

You can buy pickled turnips from a Middle Eastern market and serve them with the falafel on a plate or inside pita bread.