Spinach Falafel

Instructions

Make the spinach falafel

In a colander, rinse the dried chickpeas and place them in a large stainless steel bowl or pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Stir in 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda and leave them to soak for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.

In a large food processor, pulse the spinach until coarsely chopped.

Drain the chickpeas well then add to the food processor along with the cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, flour, and baking powder. Pulse until all the mixture is finely chopped but not puréed into hummus, about 1 minute. Place the mixture in a bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Make the green tahini

In a medium bowl, whisk the sesame paste, water, garlic, lemon juice, and salt together until smooth and runny. If you find that it is too thick, add a bit more water. Stir in the parsley, adjust seasoning to taste with salt and lemon juice. Alternately, you can whiz all the tahini ingredients together in a food processor.

Using about 2 tablespoons of the falafel mixture for each one, form the falafel into thick patties about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. TESTER TIP: If you have a falafel scoop, or even an ice-cream scoop, use it to form your patties and carefully drop them into the oil as they are formed.

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to reach a depth of 1/4-inch (6-mm). Once the oil reaches 325°F (160°C), carefully fry the falafel in batches of 4 or 5 until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Move to a wire rack and season with salt.

Serve the falafel piled on a plate or tucked inside pita bread with a generous amount of green tahini.

Mains