Falafel

1 pound of dried chick peas, soaked overnight for 24 hours
One onion
Four cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 bunch of fresh parsley
Handful or two of fresh cilantro (sometimes I add some dill too)
Juice from half a lemon or so
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
freshly ground black pepper
several tablespoons water (as needed)

1. Do not cook the chick peas; ensure they have soaked in water for 24 hours; drain. 

2. Pulverize the onion, garlic, parsley, and chickpeas. You want it to be a paste, not a soup. It's okay if it looks dry.

3. Add the lemon juice, coriander, cumin, salt, and baking powder. Mix.

4. Check the paste. It should be that you can roll it in your hands and it doesn't stick. But it should also stay in a ball and not crumble. You can add flour of some sort to achieve the correct consistency but this will make them gummy..

5. Grease a baking sheet.  Roll into balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Sometimes I flatten them.  Sometimes I don't.

6. Bake 30 minutes, 350 degrees....OR, I still prefer to fry falafel. Therefore I heat oil to 375 degrees and fry balls until golden brown.  Lately because I hate slaving over a pot of boiling oil but prefer them fried, I bake them first THEN fry them just until brown.

7. Serve with pita filled with tehini, tzatziki, tomato, onion, cucumber, etc.

Note:  this makes a TON of food.  I usually halve it and use the other half of the chickpeas to make hummus.

Recipe adapted from my friend Rachel's recipe for baked falafel.