Falafel Recipe

You can do this step the night before!
Transfer the dried chickpeas to a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Leave them to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight (up to 24 hours). Then drain and rinse them well.
In a food processor, roughly chop the onion and garlic.
Add the chickpeas and pulse into a crumb consistency before adding the cilantro and parsley and pulse a few more times into a homogenous mix.
Be careful not to over-process it into a paste. There should be some texture.
Transfer the falafel dough back to the large bowl and combine with the falafel spice and salt, mixing with a spoon.
When you're ready to cook the falafel, add the baking powder and mix. Cover and chill the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (an hour if you have the time) before frying.
To form the falafel, you can use a specific falafel scoop or a spoon (and hand-shape them into balls or slightly flattened disks). Be gentle, so they stay fluffy.
I like to use about 1 ½-2 tablespoons of mixture per falafel, but you can adjust the size to preference, like making large falafel burger patties (and the cooking time, accordingly).
Once you've formed your falafel balls, proceed with the cooking method of your choice.

Deep Fried
In a large, heavy-based skillet, add 1 ½-2 inches of oil (you need enough to cover the falafels) and heat over high heat until it gently bubbles).
Heating the oil to 350°F/180°C is best. To test if the oil is hot enough without a thermometer, drop a small amount of the falafel dough. It should sizzle immediately and brown within a minute.
Carefully lower 5-6 balls/patties into the oil (cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan). Cook them for 3-4 minutes, flipping and continuing to cook until golden brown all over.
Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil onto a layer of paper towels to drain.