Step 1

Soak 3/4 cup dry chickpeas in a bowl of cold water on the counter for 10- 12 hours or up to 24 hours hours. They will swell into 2 cups. Place in a strainer, letting them drain WELL, and pat dry with a towel for extra dryness. (Wet chickpeas will be more difficult to fry.)

Step 2

Measure 2 cups of the soaked, uncooked chickpeas and place in a food processor and pulse repeatedly along with the onion, garlic, cilantro, chili, salt spices, baking soda, and olive oil, scraping down sides, until it is well blended but still coarse like sand. Don’t overwork it- this should not be smooth, but rather quite coarse and granular.

Step 3

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400F.

Step 4

Using damp hands, form round, slightly smaller than golf ball sized balls in your hands. If it feels very wet, feel free to lightly dredge in flour if you like. (I usually don’t, even when wet!). Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Step 5

In a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet, heat a ¼ inch of “high-heat” oil on med-high heat until it sizzles when a pea-sized portion of falafel is dropped in.

Step 6

Turn heat to medium.  Place them carefully in the hot oil, do not move or mess with them until a deeply golden crust forms (this crust will ensure they naturally releases from the pan). Using a thin metal spatula, carefully turn over. Lower heat if necessary. Sear the other side. Each side will take about 3-4 minutes. Cook in batches, not crowding. Place falafels in the oven while you cook the remaining falafels to cook them through.  Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Step 7

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium-sized pot, remove from heat, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Step 8

Blend all in the food processor, until smooth. This may seem slightly salty, but trust me it works in the big picture when all the components are combined.