Lebanese Falafel

Method

1. 1Soak the chickpeas. Cover the dried chickpeas with at least three times their volume of cold water and leave them for 24 hours; in a hot kitchen, soak them in the refrigerator. They should double in size and split cleanly when bitten, but remain raw; do not boil them.
2. 2Drain and dry. Tip the chickpeas into a colander, rinse them and spread them on a clean towel for 15 minutes. Surface water makes the mixture pasty and encourages falafel to break in the oil, so the chickpeas should feel damp rather than wet.
3. 3Grind the mixture. Pulse the chickpeas, the quartered onion (1 small), garlic, parsley and cilantro in two batches, scraping the bowl between pulses. Stop when it resembles coarse couscous and a squeezed spoonful holds together; a smooth hummus-like paste will fry dense. Mix in the cumin, coriander, cardamom, salt and pepper.
4. 4Chill the mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 60 minutes. This rest lets the chickpea starch absorb moisture from the onion and firms the mixture without flour or egg.
5. 5Heat the oil and test the seasoning. Pour the sunflower oil into a deep heavy saucepan about 16 cm across: 1 litre stands about 5 cm deep there and should reach no more than halfway up the side. Heat it to 175°C. Stay at the stove while the oil is hot and keep water away from it: dry your hands before you go near the pan and lower each ball in on a spoon. If the oil catches fire, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid — never pour water on it. Stir the baking soda and sesame seeds through the cold mixture only now, form one 25 g tester and fry it for 4 minutes. It should turn deep golden, stay intact and have a cooked, fluffy centre; adjust salt before shaping the rest.
6. 6Shape and fry. With damp hands, press the mixture into compact balls or low domes of 25 g each, closing any cracks around the edges; you will get about 32. Shape them away from the stove, dry your hands and lower each ball into the oil on a spoon, never by hand over the pan. Fry four at a time for 4 minutes at 175°C, turning once, until the crust is deep golden-brown and the centre is hot and green. Let the oil return to 175°C between batches so the falafel do not soak up excess oil.
7. 7Drain and serve at once. Lift the falafel onto a rack set over a tray for 2 minutes; a rack keeps the underside crisp better than a pile of paper towels. Serve hot with tahini sauce, cucumber pickles, tomato and flatbread, or as part of a mezze plate.