Green-Center Falafel with Overnight-Soaked Chickpeas

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The falafel that separates good from great starts a day ahead: dried chickpeas soaked overnight, never cooked, ground raw with a generous fistful of parsley and cilantro so the inside stays herb-green and fluffy. A small deep pot means you shallow-fry in just three inches of oil, keeping the crust shatteringly crisp without a gallon of oil to deal with. Served with a quick lemony tahini sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas (do not substitute canned)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda, for the soaking water
• 1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
• 3 cups neutral oil for frying, such as canola or sunflower

• 1/2 cup well-stirred tahini
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup ice water, plus more as needed

• 4 pita breads, warmed
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, diced
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Pickles or pickled turnips, hot sauce, lemon wedges

Instructions

1. The night before: put the dried chickpeas in a large bowl with the 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and cover with at least 4 inches of cold water. Soak 18 to 24 hours at room temperature (refrigerate if your kitchen is warmer than 78°F). They will nearly triple in volume and should still be firm and raw — never cook them.
2. Drain the chickpeas thoroughly in a colander, then spread on a clean kitchen towel and pat very dry. Surface moisture is the number one cause of falafel that fall apart in the oil. Let them air-dry 10 minutes.
3. Add the parsley, cilantro, onion, and garlic to a food processor and pulse 8 to 10 times until finely chopped but not liquefied. Scrape into a bowl.
4. Add the drained chickpeas to the empty processor along with the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Pulse in 1-second bursts 25 to 35 times, scraping down twice, until the mixture looks like coarse wet sand — fine enough to hold together when squeezed, but with visible grain. Do not let it become a smooth paste.
5. Return the herb mixture to the processor and pulse 5 or 6 more times just to combine. Transfer everything to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes (up to 8 hours). Chilling firms the mix and makes shaping easy.
6. Just before frying, sprinkle the chickpea flour, baking powder, and sesame seeds over the mixture and knead in with your hands for 30 seconds. Squeeze a golf-ball-size portion in your fist: it should hold. If it crumbles, add another teaspoon of flour and a teaspoon of water.
7. Shape into 16 balls or slightly flattened pucks about 1 1/2 inches across, compacting each firmly between your palms. Set them on a parchment-lined tray. Flattened pucks cook through faster and give more crust.
8. Make the tahini sauce: whisk the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, and salt in a bowl — it will seize into a thick paste. Whisk in the ice water a tablespoon at a time until it loosens into a pourable, ivory-colored sauce, about 1/3 cup total. Taste and adjust lemon and salt.
9. Pour the oil into a small heavy saucepan (2 to 3 quarts) to a depth of about 3 inches — a narrow pot means less oil for real depth. Heat over medium to 350°F on a thermometer, about 8 minutes.
10. Fry 4 falafel at a time, lowering them in with a slotted spoon. Do not touch them for the first 60 seconds. Fry 3 to 4 minutes total, turning once, until deep mahogany-brown and firm. Lift one out and break it open: the inside should be steamy and bright green. Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels, and salt lightly while hot.
11. Check the oil temperature between batches, letting it return to 350°F. Repeat with the remaining falafel, about 4 batches total.
12. Serve hot within 10 minutes, tucked into warm pita with tomato, cucumber, red onion, pickles, and a heavy drizzle of the tahini sauce, with lemon wedges alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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