Falafel Fritters

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas

1 large onion roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves peeled, adjust to taste

1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (or as desired)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Pitas for serving

Tahini sauce for serving (recipe included)

Tomato-cucumber salad for serving

Harissa or other hot sauce for serving

Pickled vegetables for serving

Equipment

large bowl

food processor

frying pan

cookie scoop

paper towels

Directions

Place chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough water to cover them by a few inches. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per pound of chickpeas. Let the chickpeas soak overnight.

Drain the chickpeas well. In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, and herbs until coarsely chopped. Add the drained chickpeas, salt, and spices. Process until blended to a fine chop but not pureed. The texture should be like cooked couscous with some larger bits throughout. You should be able to pinch it together into a shape that holds.

Transfer chickpea mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to thicken and hold shape better.

Form the chickpea mixture into walnut-sized balls using a tablespoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop. Press it into the scoop tightly to compress the ingredients, then gently roll it in the palm of your hands to form a ball.

Heat 3/4 to 1 inch of oil in a medium-large frying pan to 375°F. Fry about 6 falafel fritters at a time, turning them over once they're a toasty brown underneath. Remove them once the second half is also a toasty brown. This takes about 3 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

To serve, split open a pita and add a little tahini sauce and a spoonful of salad at the bottom before adding 3 to 4 falafel fritters. Add more salad, tahini sauce, hot sauce of your choice, and pickles if you wish.