Falafel

Directions

1. 1
   The night before, add dried chickpeas to a large bowl and cover with water. Cover bowl and let them soak overnight. They should double in size. When you're ready to make your falafel, drain chickpeas.
2. 2
   Add all ingredients except for oil to a large bowl and toss to combine. Working in small batches, process in food processor. You don't want to run them until everything is completely smooth, but it should be about as course as fine sand. Give it a stir and pick out any large chunks that weren't processed and get them ground up and added back to the mixture.
3. 3
   Add mixture back to original bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. 4
   To cook, add at least an inch of oil to skillet and heat to 375 degrees F. To form the falafel balls, add a couple tablespoons of the mixture to the palm of your hand, form a ball, and slightly flatten the ball. The mixture doesn't hold together all that well, so just be gentle and steady with the pressure. Carefully drop into the oil. I prefer to cook just a few at a time so that the oil temperature can remain steady. Cook until they turn golden brown, flipping once (about 5 minutes total). Be sure the oil is at the correct temperature before adding the next batch.
5. 5
   Transfer cooked falafel to a paper towel lined plate to drain.