Category: Chickpeas

Soak chickpeas for 24 hours. Cover them in plenty of water and add baking soda to help soften them as they soak. The chickpeas will at least double in size as they soak in the water. Drain very well.

Make a mixture. Add chickpeas, fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, and dill), garlic, onion, and spices to a food processor and pulse a little bit at a time until turning it into a finely ground mixture. You’ll know it’s ready when the texture is more like a coarse meal and Refrigerate (necessary.) Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. The chilled mixture will hold together better, making it easier to form the falafel patties.

Form patties or balls. Once falafel mixture has been chilled stir in baking powder and toasted sesame seeds. Then scoop golf ball-sized balls and form into balls or patties (if you go the patties route, do not flatten them too much, you want them to be still nice and fluffy once cooked).

Fry. Frying is the traditional way to cook falafel and yields the most authentic and best result. Heat oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly (your oil should be hot enough around 375 degrees F. Not too hot it will make the falafel to fall apart).

Carefully drop the falafel in the oil, using a slotted spoon, and fry for 3-5 minutes until medium brown on the outside. Avoid over-crowding the falafel; fry them in batches if necessary.

Tip: it’s always a good idea to fry one falafel first to make sure the oil temperature doesn’t need to be adjusted.

Rinse the dry chickpeas to get rid of any debris, then soak for 10 hours with ½ teaspoon of baking soda. If you don’t prefer to use baking soda, you’ll have to boil them for a longer time, so they get soft. Baking soda helps to soften them quicker.

Once ready, empty the soaked chickpeas in a colander/filter to get rid of the soaking water, then rinse it with fresh cold water thoroughly.

Add the chickpeas to a cooking pot with ½ teaspoon of baking soda (optional, speeds the process) and then add about 6 cups of water (or until the water covers the chickpeas by about ½ inch).

Please bring it to a boil on high heat, then let it simmer on low heat for about 1 hour while the pot is covered.

Check up on the chickpeas 45 minutes into simmering to see if it’s done. The test is simple, try to crush a chickpea with your fingers; if it breaks easily and feels smooth, then it’s done.

Once the chickpeas are cooked and while afterwards still hot add them immediately to a food processor with ½ to 1 cup of warm water and grind for 3-5 minutes at low speed.

Add the salt and garlic, then slowly start to add the Tahini paste as the food processor grinds away.

Once done, slowly add the lemon juice to let the food processor run for a couple of minutes more afterwards. Taste the beautiful puree and see if it needs an adjustment of salt or lemon juice.

It is recommended adding the boiled chickpeas water to the food processor instead of regular warm water. You could do that and result in a slightly richer taste; however, the resulting hummus may be a bit tougher on the tummy due to all the baking soda in the water.