• Firstly, drain the soaked chickpeas and discard the liquid.
• Next, add soaked chickpeas, garlic cloves, green chili, parsley, coriander or cilantro leaves, crushed cloves, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, chili powder and salt in a food processor.
• Blend to an al dante texture and mix with a spatula in between blending for an even consistency. We’re looking for a grainy texture here, as this gives an interesting bite to the falafel balls, instead of smooth and mushy texture.
• Add finely chopped onion and sesame seeds to the mixture and mix well.
• Meanwhile, let the falafel mix rest in the fridge for at least an hour, and up to 3-4 hours. This allows the flavors to come together and create a beautiful harmony.
• Consequently, take the falafel mixture out of the refrigerator. Scooping out a small amount of the mixture, shape it into small balls of about 1.5-inch diameter, or flatten into patties of approximately 2.5-inch width and ½-inch thickness. Indeed, the shape depends on your preference and the cooking method you opt for. You could also use a falafel-maker mould for shaping these.

Deep-fry method:

• First, add oil in a deep pot and allow it to heat to about 180-190°C or 356-374°F. The oil level should cover the falafel balls entirely. In case you don’t have a food thermometer, dip a wooden chopstick into the heating oil. When you see bubbles forming around the chopstick, it indicates that the oil is ready for some frying action.
• Now, fry the falafel balls, about 5-6 at a time, depending on the width of your frying pot, until they’re golden and crispy. Most importantly, take care to not crowd the pot, and avoid the falafel balls from bumping into each other.
• Lastly, remove the fried falafels from oil and arrange on a platter lined with paper towels to soak additional oil.
• Devour!

Pan-fry method:

• (While this method utilizes lesser amount of oil than the deep-fried method, the results are somewhat inconsistent in terms of crunch and uniform golden color. However, you could still try this if you prefer the frying method for falafels and wish to avoid deep-frying. In fact, the results will be better if you shape the falafel mixture into patties.)
• Start by heating 3 tbsp of oil in a shallow, wide nonstick pan. Use the chopstick method mentioned above to gauge the right temperature.
• Place the falafel patties in the pan, and use a spoon to flip the patties halfway through the cook.
• Remove the fried falafel from the pan and place on a tray lined with paper towels to soak excess oil.

Baking method:

• Pre-heat the oven at 185°C or 365°F. Meanwhile, line a tray with parchment paper and brush 1 tsp oil on it. Place the patties in a way that they don’t touch each other.
• Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Flip gently with a spatula halfway through the baking time. Devour!