Lebanese Falafel

Soak the chickpeas

Put the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with plenty of cold water, at least double their volume. Leave to soak at room temperature for 12–24 hours. This is the most important step: canned or quick-cooked chickpeas hold too much moisture and will make the falafel fall apart or turn mushy inside when fried.

• 300 g dried chickpeas

✅ Done when: the chickpeas have doubled in size and crush easily between two fingers, but are still raw, not cooked soft

Grind the mixture

Drain the soaked chickpeas very well and pat dry with a towel. In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas with the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt until it looks like coarse, grainy sand that clumps when pressed. Stop before it turns into a smooth paste; over-processing makes falafel heavy and dense instead of light.

• 300 g chickpeas (soaked and drained, from step 1)
• 1 small onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup (30 g) parsley
• 1/2 cup (15 g) cilantro
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne or Aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp salt

✅ Done when: the mixture looks like damp, coarse sand and holds together when squeezed in your hand

Rest the dough

Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. This short rest lets the flavors settle and firms up the mixture so the patties hold their shape in the hot oil.

✅ Done when: the mixture feels firm and slightly tacky, not wet or loose

Make tahini sauce

While the falafel mixture rests, whisk the tahini with the lemon juice, crushed garlic and remaining salt in a bowl; it will look thick and grainy at first and may even seize up. Keep whisking and add the cold water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce turns pale, smooth and pourable, like heavy cream.

• 120 g tahini
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 80 ml cold water

✅ Done when: the sauce is smooth, light in color, and falls off the whisk in a ribbon

Shape and fry

Just before frying, mix the baking powder and baking soda into the chickpea mixture; adding them earlier means the lift fades during the rest, so they go in right before shaping for the fluffiest center. Scoop heaped tablespoons, roll into balls, then flatten slightly into thick discs about 5 cm wide, pressing one side into the sesame seeds if using. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 180°C (350°F) and fry in batches of 5–6, turning once, without crowding the pot.

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 litre oil, for frying

✅ Done when: falafel are deep golden brown and crisp outside; break one open to check it's bright green and moist, not dry, in the center

Serve

Warm the pita briefly, split or wrap it around 5–6 hot falafel, spread generously with tahini sauce and add tomato, pickled turnips and lettuce. Serve right away while the falafel are still crackling hot and crisp.

• 4 pita breads
• to serve tomato, pickled turnips, lettuce
• as prepared tahini sauce (from step 4)