Note: Be sure to remember to soak your dried chickpeas in plenty of cold water for 12-24 hours. Don't use canned chickpeas as they won't hold up when cooked in this recipe.
Falafel:
Drain the chickpeas and add them to a food processor along with remaining falafel ingredients. Blend until just combined, scraping the sides down back into the mixture occasionally. You may need to do this in batches. Don't over-mix as you want to maintain a firm mixture.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. (Overnight works too.)
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out balls of equal size and place them on a baking sheet or large cutting board. Use the back of a spoon to press the balls down to form patties. They will be soft, this is expected.
Fill a skillet (preferably cast iron) with enough oil to cover about a quarter of the falafel. Preheat over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is heated, carefully place a test falafel into the oil, to ensure the temperature is right. The oil should be around 350-375 degrees and the falafel should begin to bubble almost immediately, but not too intensely.
Fry the falafel in batches of 4, keeping the rest in the freezer until ready to be fried. Fry the first side for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds. Use a slotted spatula to carefully loosen it from the bottom and flip it.
Fry for another minute or until the reverse side is brown and crisp. Remove from the pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
Serve in a pita pocket, drizzle with tahini sauce, and add your favorite additions. (Lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, onions, cucumbers, avocados, Feta, etc.)
Tahini Sauce:
Blend ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency is reached. I added about 1/4 cup additional water in mine.
Notes
If the falafel has trouble sticking together, try mixing in about 3 Tablespoons of flour. If you’re still having issues, add 1-2 eggs into the mixture. I didn’t have to use any of these tactics.
Instead of tahini sauce, you can also try Tahini or Greek salad dressing!