Crispy Falafel with Garlicky Tahini Sauce

Name: Crispy Falafel with Garlicky Tahini Sauce (Falafel-e Abadani)
Prep time: 24 h 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 25 h 10 min
Yield: Serves: 6 to 8
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; Pickled cucumber, tomato, shredded lettuce, and basil to put with falafels in pita bread, tortillas, or lettuce to make a wrap; 2 cups/400 g dried chickpeas, or 4 x 15 oz/425 g cans of chickpeas; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 5 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 small onion, peeled and quartered; ½ cup/40 g chopped fresh dill weed; 2 cups/170 g chopped fresh parsley; 1 tablespoon fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon turmeric; ½ cup/120 g tahini paste; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated; ½ cup plain yogurt; 1 tablespoon ground cardamom; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 3 cups/720 ml raw sesame oil, for frying; ½ cup/80 g raw sesame seeds (optional); ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ cup/60 ml fresh lime juice

Falafel-e Abadani

Preparation info

Serves:
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
26 hr

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

Falafels are particularly popular around the Persian Gulf. This is my favorite version because it’s full of fresh herbs. Street vendor in Abadan make falafels and turnovers/dast pich wrapped in lavash bread (an Abadani specialty).

Ingredients

chickpeas

2 cups/400 g dried chickpeas, or 4 x 15 oz/425

Asia
Iran
Main course
Vegetarian

Method

For the chickpeas: Soak the dried chickpeas in water with the salt and baking soda for 24 hours, then drain and rinse. (If using canned chickpeas, drain, rinse and dry thoroughly.)
For the paste: Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with all the ingredients for the paste, and pulse until you have a sticky paste (if you want the falafels more