The only reason for the low rating is to warn people to be sure to plan on soaking the chickpeas at least overnight. After 6 hours of soaking I thought I'd better cook them since they were still pretty crispy. BAD idea. They absorbed too much water and when I tried to cook them I ended up with falafel mush and had to throw it all out. The flavor was excellent and I'm going to try this again. But there's no way I'll cook them and I'd warn people away from using canned beans for the same reason

Delicious! They come out moister than previous falafel recipes I have tried, and I can say first hand, that these are indeed just like the type you get at a halal foods cart in NYC. I also omitted the sugar, baking soda, and powder as another member suggested, and it turned out great! I'm going to be making these again for my graduation party... I just might have to double the recipe!!

I agree with sueb that you can certainly forego the soda baking powder and sugar. I first learned about falafel from a Lebanese student in my class but for years relied on packaged mix (never as good!). Another great twist is to buy whole spices and grind them your self - it only adds 2 minutes to prep time but the flavors are so much more vivid. Also you can finely chop a bit of cilantro or parsley into the mixture. These make great finger food for parties too!

I omitted the baking soda, baking powder and sugar. These are great tasting burgers that I dry fried instead of deep fat fried. I'll be making them again!