In a large glass bowl, combine the chickpeas and baking soda. Add enough cold water to cover by 4 inches. Cover the bowl and let the chickpeas soak for 24 hours. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the chickpeas are broken up a bit.
Add the parsley and cilantro and process until the mixture comes together to form a dough. It should be a bit pasty in texture, but have some grit to it and not be completely pureed smooth. Transfer the chickpea mixture to a medium bowl and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on top. Refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours.
Use a 1½-tablespoon scoop to measure out the falafel mixture. Roll it into balls and slightly compact the balls with your hands
Add 3 inches of oil to a 5-quart pot. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F, and then add 5 to 8 falafel, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Cook until the falafel are golden brown outside, about 2 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to try to keep the temperature between 350F to 375F (use a candy thermometer or deep-fry thermometer). Use a slotted spoon to remove the falafel from the oil and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Cook the remaining falafel the same way.
MAKE THE TAHINI SAUCE:
Stir together the tahini, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice (the mixture will thicken). While stirring, add ice cold water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out the sauce until it reaches a consistency where you can drizzle it.
SERVE:
Serve the falafel along with the falafel sauce to drizzle on top. Eat it along with fresh vegetables, such as cucumber, tomato, red onion, and/or fresh herbs. Or make it into a sandwich with Middle Eastern flatbread.
Notes
Nutritional information is for the falafel and sauce only, and it DOES NOT INCLUDE the oil they are fried in.
Do not use canned chickpeas for this recipe.
If preparing this recipe as gluten-free, be sure to use a brand of Tahini that is known to be GF.
If you double this recipe, you may need to process the falafel batter in 2 batches in a food processor.
The falafel shouldn’t fall apart in the oil while cooking. However, if you’re having trouble getting it to hold its shape before you fry it, you can add chickpea flour 1 teaspoon at a time until the falafel balls hold together.