From “A New Middle Eastern Cookbook” by Claudia Roden
Ingredients
225g peeled split broad beans (fava beans)
1 clove garlic chopped
25g chopped parsley
½ teaspoon cumin
Green tops of ½ bunch spring onions chopped
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
Olive oil
Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Soak beans overnight in plenty of water.
Next day, place drained beans and garlic in a blender and puree.
Add all other ingredients except sesame seeds and pulse until ground mixture forms a dough.
Turn mixture into a bowl, wet your hands and form mixture into 5 cm balls.
Flatten balls slightly and roll in toasted sesame seeds. Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, heat 5 cm oil in a pan to 185 deg C.
Drop a few falafel balls into the pan at a time and fry until golden brown (5-8 minutes). Drain on paper towel
Serve with tahina or stuff them into pocket bread with chopped lettuce and tahina.
NOTE: If split peeled fava beans are not available, you can substitute dried haricot beans.
In the summer bean-growing season we also make falafel with whole French beans. The beans from the garden that are slightly beyond their ‘tender best’ are great for blitzing whole in the blender (yes, peel and all) to make falafel.