Dema's Mom's Falafel

Last weekend i had a craving for middle eastern food and decided to make some falafel. My usual source for recipes is the infinite wisdom of Claudia Roden. I have my ma's well worn copy of her guide to food of the middle east (this is where kelsie gets her recipe for no-fail hummous) and i have a newer book called Arabesque which features the food of Morrocco, Turkey and Lebanon.
On this occasion i decided to ask my workmate Dema, who is Palestinian, for her tips. She in turn asked her mom and i was all set to go.
To accompany i made some tahini dressing, pitta bread and a pickled red cabbage carrot salad.

Falafel
500g dried favas or chickpeas
2 onions grated
1 bunch parsley finely chopped
1 bunch coriander finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
Salt
Cayenne
1 tsp baking powder

First soak the dried beans in plenty of water for 24 hours.
Drain well and grind to a smooth consistency in a food processor. You need to scrape down the side of the bowl from time to time to ensure a uniform consistency.
Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well blended.
Set aside in a bowl for 30 minutes.
Heat a wok or pot with vegetable oil until a piece of bread dropped in sizzles and turns brown.
Form walnut sized balls of the falafel and flatten slightly. Add to the hot oil and fry until golden brown all over.
Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you fry the rest.
NOTE: this recipe makes a LOT.

Tahini dressing
2 cloves garlic crushed to a paste with salt
3 Tbsp tahini
1 lemon juiced

Whisk all the ingredients together. Add 50ml water or enough to thin it out to the consistency of double cream. Adjust seasonings.

Pickled Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad
2 carrots, grated
1 small red cabbage, finely shredded
1 lemon, juiced
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 pickles cut into slices
3 pickled chilies cut into slices
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and adjust seasoning to taste.