Falafel

Ingredients
| 250g | dried chickpeas | | --- | --- | | 1/2 | medium onion, finely chopped (80g in total) | | 1 | garlic clove, crushed | | 1 tbsp | finely chopped flat-leaf parsley | | 2 tbsp | finely chopped coriander | | 1/4 tsp | cayenne pepper | | 1/2 tsp | ground cumin | | 1/2 tsp | ground coriander | | 1/4 tsp | ground cardamom | | 1/2 tsp | baking powder | | 1 tbsp | plain flour | | 750ml | sunflower oil for deep-frying | | 1/2 tsp | sesame seeds, for coating | | | salt |

1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least twice their volume. Set aside to soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain the chickpeas well and combine them with the onion, garlic, parsley and coriander. For the best results, use a meat grinder for the next part. Put the chickpea mixture once through the machine, set to its finest setting, then pass it through the machine for a second time. If you don’t have a meat grinder, use a food processor. Blitz the mix in batches, pulsing each for 30–40 seconds, until it is finely chopped, but not mushy or pasty, and holds itself together. Once processed, add the spices, baking powder, 3⁄4 of a teaspoon of salt, flour, and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix well by hand until smooth and uniform. Cover the mixture and leave it in the fridge for 1 hour or until ready to use.
3. Fill a deep, heavy-based, medium saucepan with enough oil to come 7cm up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 180°C.
4. With wet hands, press 1 tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hand to form a patty or a ball the size of a small walnut, about 25g (you can also use a wet ice-cream scoop for this). Press them well as they tend to crumble and break.
5. Sprinkle the balls with a tiny amount of sesame seeds and deep-fry them in batches for 4 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through. It is important they really dry out on the inside so make sure they get enough time in the oil. Drain in a colander lined with kitchen paper and serve at once.

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