Instructions

1. In a large bowl soak the chickpeas along with the baking soda overnight for at least 18 hours, till they are triple in size. Add enough water.
2. Once your chickpeas have been soaked, rinse them and remove the excess water and pat dry. Add them to a food processor or grinder jar and blend for a couple of seconds only.
3. Next add peeled and shredded beetroot to the food processor or grinder jar along with the rest of the ingredients, that is, fresh parsley, coriander, onion, garlic, cumin and coriander powder, black pepper and salt.
4. Combine and blend well until you have the right consistency for the falafel. You will need to blend all the ingredients until you have a well-combined mixture. The mixture doesn’t need to be soft and pulpy as the falafel balls will be too dense then. Instead blend enough for the mixture not to fall apart when frying them.
5. Transfer the falafel mixture to a covered container and refrigerate it for at least 1-2 hours, preferably overnight.
6. Before frying add the baking powder, sesame seeds to the mixture.
7. Scoop some of the mixture and using your hands form the mixture into round shapes. Apply some water to your hand before giving your falafel its shape and also to add some extra moisture while shaping them. Make sure the size is not too small or too big. It should be approximately the size of your palm.
8. In a pan heat oil. Fry the falafel over medium flame until they are brown and crisp on the outside. Once cooked, place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
9. Serve falafel along with pita bread, hummus or tahini and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, olives.