Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas
- 1 cup (180 g) dried broad beans
- 2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely
- 1 medium (150 g) brown onion, chopped coarsely
- 1 small bunch coriander, washed and chopped coarsely
- 1½ tbsps ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground chilli
- 2 tsps salt
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
- Lebanese bread, sliced pickled cucumbers,
- radishes, tomatoes, lettuce, fresh mint leaves and red onion, to serve
TAHINI SAUCE
- ½ cup (140 g) tahini paste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp salt
Steps
Combine the chickpeas and broad beans in a large bowl. Pour over boiling water, ensuring beans are completely covered. Soak overnight.
Rinse chickpeas a few times in cold water and drain well. Combine the drained chickpeas and broad beans in a food processor with the garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, pepper, chilli and salt. Process until the mixture becomes a crumbly paste. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
To prepare tahini sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Remove falafel mixture from refrigerator and stir in bicarbonate of soda; mix well. Roll heaped tablespoons of falafel mixture into oval shapes.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large, deep saucepan. Deep-fry the falafels in batches for a few minutes or until golden brown. Serve the warm falafels with the tahini sauce, Lebanese bread, pickled cucumbers, radishes and a fresh salad of sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mint and red onion.
Photo: John Paul Urizar/bauersyndication.com.au