The origin of falafel is one of the food world's great turf wars — Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, and Israel all stake passionate claims. The earliest versions may have been made with fava beans by Egyptian Copts as a protein-rich meal during Lent. As the recipe traveled north through the Levant, chickpeas replaced fava beans, and falafel became the undisputed king of Middle Eastern street food, beloved from Beirut to Brooklyn.

• 1 lb dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (never use canned)
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Drain your soaked chickpeas thoroughly — they need to be damp, not swimming. This is the single most important step. Canned chickpeas will betray you with mushy, falling-apart falafel.
2. Pulse the chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor until you get a coarse, textured paste. You want confetti, not hummus — stop before it becomes a puree.
3. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and baking powder. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the mixture firm up.
4. Shape the chilled mixture into balls about the size of a walnut, or press them into small patties if you prefer more crunch per bite.
5. Pour oil into a deep pot or Dutch oven to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 350F. Drop a tiny piece of mixture in — if it sizzles immediately, you're in business.
6. Fry the falafel in batches of 5-6, turning gently, until they're a deep, burnished gold all over — about 3-4 minutes. Don't crowd the pot or the temperature will plummet.
7. Drain on a wire rack, never paper towels (steam is crispness's enemy). Serve immediately in warm pita with tahini sauce, diced tomatoes, pickled turnips, and a reckless amount of fresh herbs.