A Middle Eastern vegan dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 12 h 30 min

Organic sourcing

Parsley and cilantro are worth sourcing organically as they often have residual pesticide concerns. Chickpeas are low-residue; the organic trade-off is modest here.

Ingredients

• 250 g dried chickpeas
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• to taste freshly ground black pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

Method

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas and soak them in plenty of water for at least 12 hours or overnight. Drain well.
2. In a food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
3. Pulse until the mixture is coarse but holds together when pressed. Do not overprocess.
4. Add baking soda and flour to the chickpea mixture and pulse to combine. Adjust seasoning if needed.
5. Scoop small portions of the mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) and shape them into balls or patties.
6. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan over medium-high. Fry falafel in batches until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.
7. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with tahini sauce or in pita bread.

Notes

• If the falafel mixture is too wet, add a little more flour.
• Serve falafel with a side of hummus or Israeli salad.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Middle Eastern recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.