Falafel

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas a whole night (about 12 hours) in plenty of cold water, drain and rinse.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Dried chickpeas, only soaked, not cooked and not canned: a cooked chickpea doesn't hold the ball together, and the falafel falls apart in the oil.

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Grind the chickpeas in a food processor with the parsley, cilantro, onion and garlic, in pulses, to an even, grainy mixture, not a paste.

   ⚙ Grinding in a Food ProcessorFood processor

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
3. 3
   Add the cumin, salt and baking soda, mix and refrigerate 30 minutes.

   Refrigerator
4. 4
   Form Small balls with wet hands.
5. 5
   Heat the oil' in a deep pot' to 175–180°C (345–355°F) and fry the balls in batches for 3–4 minutes, until golden. Transfer to paper towels.

   ⚙ Deep-fryingStoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerDeep pot for frying

   💡Keep the oil at 170–180°C (340–355°F): too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

   💡Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.