Use a good brand of chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram); I use MidEast or Sadaf brands. This makes a massive difference in taste. Alternatively, soak 1cup of dried chickpeas (black or regular) in water overnight, boil for 1 hour, drain and use.

Egyptian falafel does not have cilantro or mint, and is made from fava beans (fresh or canned). A very tasty variant.

Optional: 1 tsp coriander (dried, ground) in place of cilantro

’* You can up the herbs to 2-3x as much if you like
’** Depends on your brand of chickpeas, and how salty the can is.

331 calories per half sandwich, 15 grams fat (8 g saturated), 525 mg sodium, 42 mg cholesterol

147 calories per cup, 1 g fat (1 g saturated), 56 mg sodium, 4 mg cholesterol