Time
45 minutes, plus up to 24 hours to soak the chickpeas
UnitsScale
Ingredients
1 3/4cups dried chickpeas
2 or 3 dried red chiles, like ancho or chipotle
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, quartered
1 tablespoon cumin
1cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2cup tahini
Instructions
Put the chickpeas and chiles in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 or 4 inches—the beans will triple in volume as they soak. Soak for 12 to 24 hours, checking once or twice to see if you need to add more water to keep the beans submerged. (If the soaking time is inconvenient for you, just leave them in the water until they’re ready; you should be able to break them apart between your fingers.)
Heat the oven to 400°F. Drain the chickpeas and chiles; remove the stems from the chiles, and if you want less heat, remove the seeds as well. Transfer the chickpeas and chiles to a food processor with the garlic, onion, cumin, herb, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, baking soda, and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice. Pulse until everything is minced but not pureed, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides if necessary; add water tablespoon by tablespoons if necessary to allow the machine to do its work, but keep the mixture as dry as possible. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper as needed.
Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Roll the bean mixture into 20 balls, about 1 1/2-inch each, then flatten them into patties. Put the falafel on the prepared pan and brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes on each side.
Meanwhile, whisk the tahini and remaining salt with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve the falafel drizzled with the sauce.