*The key to making falafel that doesn’t fall apart is to use soaked chickpeas, not cooked chickpeas and therefore not canned chickpeas. For best results, follow the instructions below for how to soak dried chickpeas.

1. Soak ¾ cup (150g) dried chickpeas by covering in cold water (making sure the water is at least 3 inches above the chickpeas) and placing in the fridge for 18 hours. Adding ½ tsp baking soda will help to soften the chickpeas and they will swell to the 1 ½ cups you need for this recipe after the soaking time.
2. After the chickpeas have soaked and swollen in size, drain them from the soaking water and rinse them with fresh water.
3. Pat the chickpeas dry with a clean cloth and add them to a food processor with the additional ingredients up to the paprika. Pulse the mixture until the chickpeas are broken down to about the texture of couscous. You don’t want to blend the chickpeas so far that they become a paste. The mixture should still be a little crumbly but fine enough that the mixture will pack together without falling apart. See the photos in the blog post for reference!
4. Refrigerate this mixture, covered, for at least 1 hour. This will help the flavours to strengthen and will make forming the falafel a little easier. (If you don’t have the time, it is possible to move straight to cooking the falafel).
5. Remove the mixture from the fridge and stir in the baking powder and sesame seeds.
6. Form the mixture into individual falafel balls or patties. I find that using a small cookie scoop makes uniform falafel. I scoop the dough into my hands and use my hands to form a compact ball or small circular patty.
7. To fry the falafel, add 2 inches of frying oil to a dutch oven over medium heat. Test that the oil is hot enough by dipping the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood, the oil is hot enough. Carefully transfer a few falafel at a time into the hot oil. I usually fry only 6 or so at a time to ensure they have enough space between them. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until the outside is nicely browned and crispy. Carefully remove fried falafel from the hot oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil.
8. To bake the falafel, place the formed falafel balls or patties on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 – 20 minutes. Carefully turn the falafel halfway through to ensure even baking.
9. Serve with my Lemon Tahini Dressing as part of a mezze platter, my Falafel Pita, or use them as the protein in a Falafel Power Bowl!
10. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cooked falafel can be frozen and reheated in the oven or on a frying pan. Uncooked patties can also be frozen and then baked. If frying patties from frozen, be aware that the oil will spray because of the water content in the frozen falafel. Allow to defrost before frying and/or take necessary precautions when frying.