Falafel

• Preheat the oven
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a food processor together with the onion, parsley, cilantro, chile pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, cardamon, black pepper and lemon juice.
• Pulse to process scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse sand.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the chickpea flour and baking soda. Mix to combine, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• With your hands or using an ice cream scoop form 2-inch balls or patties (I prefer patties when baking them). If the mixture is too dry, add additional lemon juice or water.
• If the mixture is too wet, add additional chickpea flour.

To Fry:

• Heat about 3-inches of oil in a pot over medium heat until the oil reaches about 350℉.
• Cook the falafel in batches adding 6-9 pieces to the pot each time (depending on the size of your pot).Cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown.
• With a skimmer, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve immediately with tahini sauce.

To Bake:

• Preheat the oven to 375℉. Coat a large rimed baking sheet with 3-4 tablespoons of oil.
• Place the falafel on the oiled sheet pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully flipping the falafel halfway through the baking process.
• Bake until golden brown on both sides, about 18-20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately with tahini sauce.

To Pan Fry:

• Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat.
• Add the falafel patty and pan fry for about 2 minutes. Flip and pan fry the other side until golden brown.
• Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve immediately with tahini sauce.

Tahini Sauce

• Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste. Use immediately. Keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks.