1. The night before add the dried chickpeas to a bowl and add water – make sure there is enough water in the bowl since the chickpeas triple in size.

 

2. Wash and dry the parsley and cilantro and chop roughly. Peel and chop the onion and garlic roughly. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and cut into rings. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add everything to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cardamom, and black pepper and pulse everything several times until it looks like coarse sand. Transfer to a bowl, add the chickpea flour and baking soda and mix in. Cover and place in the fridge for about 45 minutes.

 

3. While the mixture is resting prepare the hummus. Pour the chickpeas from the can into a sieve, rinse with water and let drain. Add the tahini and lemon juice to a food processor or strong mixer and mix for a minute or so until creamy. Add the olive oil, chopped garlic, ground cumin, and salt – mix until well combined. Add about half of the chickpeas to the food processor/mixer and mix for a minute or so until the chickpeas are creamy. Add the remaining chickpeas and mix another 1-2 minutes until you get a thick paste. The hummus is probably quite thick at this moment – continue mixing and add the cold water until the hummus has a nice creamy and spreadable consistency. Season with some more salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle some chili flakes on top. Set aside until needed. The hummus can be stored up to 4 days in the fridge.

 

4. Shape the falafel mixture into small balls. Heat up a pot with oil to a temperature of about 350°F (175°C). Fry the falafel in small batches for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Keep an eye on the temperature so they won’t burn. Take out and let drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining mixture/balls. Serve the falafel with the hummus and some flatbread.