Falafel

Method

1. The night before, put 100 g of dried split fava beans in a bowl and cover with at least three times their depth of cold water. Leave 12 hours at room temperature, until a bean crushes easily between finger and thumb but is still raw and chalky inside. Drain in a colander, rinse, then spread on a tea towel and pat thoroughly dry — wet beans make a loose paste that collapses in the oil.
2. Put 25 g of coriander, 20 g of parsley, 10 g of dill, 2 chopped spring onions and 2 peeled garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and bright green. Add the drained beans and pulse in short bursts, scraping down twice, for about 2 minutes, until you have a damp, sandy paste that holds together when squeezed — stop while it still has a faint grain to it rather than becoming a smooth purée.
3. Scrape the paste into a bowl and work in 1 tsp of ground coriander, 1 tsp of ground cumin, 0.75 tsp of salt and 0.25 tsp of black pepper with your hand. Cover and chill for 30 minutes so the beans absorb the herb moisture and firm up.