Soak the fava beans and the chickpeas in water in separate containers overnight so that they soften.
","image":"","section":"Preparing the Falafel Mix"},{"text":"The following day drain the all beans and rinse with fresh water. Peel the fava beans and discard the skins (or you can save time by buying peeled fava beans).
","image":"","section":"Preparing the Falafel Mix"},{"text":"Drain the fava beans in a colander then run them in the food processor for a minute or two until they look like bread crumbs. Set aside in a large bowl.
","image":"","section":"Preparing the Falafel Mix"},{"text":"Similarly rinse and drain the chickpeas then run them in the food processor until they reach the same consistency of the Fava beans. Pour in the bowl on top of the fava beans.
","image":"","section":"Preparing the Falafel Mix"},{"text":"Place the garlic, onions, green onions, parsley, cilantro, flour and all spices except for the baking soda in the food processor and run for a minute until they turn into a thick paste.
","image":"","section":"Preparing the Falafel Mix"},{"text":"Add them to the bowl on top of the beans and knead with hands until they reach a doughy texture. If they feel dry add a bit of water and kneed a bit more. If they feel too pasty add a bit of flour. At this point feel free to taste the Falafel mix to make sure it has a balanced flavor.
","image":"","section":"Preparing the Falafel Mix"},{"text":"Right before frying, add and mix the baking soda into the Falfel mix kneading it, then let it rest for a bit. When ready heat up 1-2 inches deep of cooking oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
","image":"","section":"Frying the Falafel"},{"text":"Scoop the falafel by using a special Falafel scoop. If not available use an ice cream scoop, a small 1 Oz measuring cup, or 2 regular tablespoons whereby you would scoop the falafel paste in one, and press the other spoon against it to compact into a "cake" then drop gently into the frying pan.
","image":"","section":"Frying the Falafel"},{"text":"Fry for a few minutes while turning the falafel if needed until it turns light brown and crispy on the outside, then scoop them out into a colander for a couple of minutes to get rid of the excess oil before placing them in a serving bowl.
","image":"","section":"Frying the Falafel"},{"text":"Optional: You can roll the falafel in sesame seeds as soon as they are taken out of the frying pan.
","image":"","section":"Frying the Falafel"},{"text":"For the health conscious, you can scoop then layer the falafel patties on an aluminum/cooking tray that has been lightly oiled and bake in the oven at 400F for 7-10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
","image":"","section":"Alternative Method: Bake the Falafel"},{"text":"Mix the Tahini sauce ingredients in the blender until they reach a homogeneous texture.
","image":"","section":"Falafel Tahini Sauce Preparation"},{"text":"Sample to ensure a balance of flavors. A good Falafel Tahini sauce should be tangy and garlicky.
","image":"","section":"Falafel Tahini Sauce Preparation"},{"text":"Serve as a side/dip.","image":"","section":"Falafel Tahini Sauce Preparation"},{"text":"While still hot, crush 3 or 4 cooked falafel balls along the diameter of a pita bread, garnish with some chopped parsley leaves, add a table spoon of Tahini sauce, chopped tomatoes, salted Lebanese cucumber and turnip pickles, and an optional red hot sauce (Shatta) . Roll and enjoy.
","image":"","section":"Putting Together a Falafel Sandwich"}],"notes":"","nutrition":[],"video_url":"","rating_value":"4.88","rating_count":"8","url":"https://mamaslebanesekitchen.com/mezza/falafel-from-scratch/","attribution":"Recipe by Mama's Lebanese Kitchen"}