To Make the Falafel

• Place the dried chickpeas in a medium bowl and cover with water, making sure the chickpeas are submerged by at least an inch of water. Cover with a tea towel and leave to soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
  300 g dried chickpeas
• Drain the chickpeas in a sieve and rinse under cold water for a few seconds. Spread the chickpeas on a clean tea-towel and rub gently to dry then leave uncovered while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Place a small dry frying pan over low heat and add the cumin and coriander seeds. Toast gently until very fragrant but do not allow the seeds to burn. Turn off the heat and transfer the spices to a spice grinder. Alternatively you can grind the spices in a high-speed blender or with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
  2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• Add the remaining ingredients except for the baking powder to a food processor. Top with the spices and soaked chickpeas then pulse until all the chickpeas are finely chipped into a coarse meal and the herbs have made the mixture nice and green.
  130 g fresh onion, 60 g fresh parsley leaves, 30 g fresh coriander leaves, 4 stems mint leaves, 4 cloves garlic, Zest of one lemon, ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, 2 teaspoon flaky salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and cover with cling film or reusable wrap. Place in the fridge to chill for one hour.
• Remove from the fridge and add the baking powder. Stir well to combine.
  ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Use a cookie scoop to form tightly packed balls of falafel mixture around 2-3 tablespoon in size. Arrange separately on a baking tray and cover until you're ready to cook them.
• To Fry the Falafel
• If you wish to fry the falafel, fill a small saucepan with at least 2-3 inches of vegetable or sunflower oil and place over medium/low heat. Once the oil is around 170c, carefully lower 3-4 falafel into the oil using a slotted spoon or a "spider". Alternatively fry the falafel in a deep fryer.
  vegetable oil for frying
• Remove from the oil once browned all over and crispy (around 1-2 minutes) then set on a sheet of kitchen roll to remove any excess fat. Serve while warm with hummus, salad and pita breads if you like.