Fresh homemade falafels are unbeatable…and they’re not difficult and they’re a big reward. Wonderful with a simple dip as a snack or made into a sharing dish like this – they deliver on all the senses. If you all too often revert to tinned chickpeas, then please make the effort this time to use the dried ones here. It makes such a difference and, really, how much work is soaking?
Makes approximately 8 falafels
125g (½ cup) dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded or not and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
handful of fresh coriander leaves
½ tsp ground black cumin seeds
½ tsp ground cumin seeds
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp gram flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cardamom seeds from about 12–15 pods
* Drain the chickpeas. Pulse the onion, green chilli, garlic and coriander leaves to a rough mixture in a blender before adding the chickpeas. Pulse to a finer mixture to achieve something closer to a rough paste. Remove the paste to a clean bowl and add the remaining ingredients and mix together thoroughly by hand.
Form torpedo-shaped falafels by shaping a ball of the mixture inside your palm, closing your fingers around it to gently shape it accordingly.
Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more before using to help them firm up and keep their shape. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before cooking.
Heat the oil in a wok or shallow fryer to approximately 170°C (340°F) or until a piece of bread dropped in sizzles on the top. Carefully fry the falafel in batches of two for 2–3 minutes each – placing them on kitchen paper to dry when done. Keep in a warm oven while you fry the remaining batches.