Wash and sort through your chickpeas to make sure there are no small rocks. Then, put them in a large mixing bowl. Fill the bowl with water. You will need much more water than you think is necessary. Let them soak overnight.
2 cups dried chickpeas, water
The next day, drain the chickpeas well. Use a paper towel or dry cloth to dry them before putting them in the food processor.
Prepare the herbs by removing the large parts of the stems. This isn't strictly necessary, but it does help preserve the soft, fluffy texture of the inside of the falafel balls. Remove the skin from the onion, and cut the yellow onion into pieces that will fit into the food processor. All of the this can go directly into the food processor.
½ bunch parsley, 1 bunch cilantro, 4 sprigs mint, ½ yellow onion
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor. Process until the bits of chickpea are about the size of cauliflower rice.
1 tbsp jar garlic, ¼ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp dill weed, ½ tsp white pepper, 1 pinch salt, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, ½ tsp sesame oil
Cover the mixture and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Preheat the oven to 350℉ when you pull them out of the fridge. This may seem unnecessary, but it is really the secret to falafel balls that stay together without added flour! The first time I shaped falafel balls, I took a while and the later balls got too warm and fell apart. If your shaping process takes more than 10 minutes, feel free to place the pan of shaped patties and the bowl of minced chickpea mixture back into the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes. Additionally, as you get to the bottom of the bowl of mixture, it may be necessary to dry the mixture some with a paper towel or dry cloth. Shape the falafel mixture into balls or patties, whichever you prefer. Falafel balls are cute, and are easy to make when frying. However, if you are baking them, it is best to form patties. This increases the amount of mixture that is touching the pan, improving browning. Also, it keeps them from rolling all over the place.
Bake the falafel balls or patties for 10 minutes, then flip and spray with oil. This helps browning a bit. Sprinkle some salt over the falafel, and put them back in the oven for 15 minutes.
olive oil, salt
