These mini falafel are baked rather than fried, packed with fresh parsley, cilantro, and warm spices, then finished with a cooling cucumber herb sauce brightened by lemon and dill. Chickpeas form the hearty base, bound together with a touch of flour and baking powder so each bite stays tender inside with a deep golden crust outside. A generous drizzle of olive oil before baking gives them that irresistible savory edge without needing a deep fryer. Every component here — legumes, fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, cucumber — reads like a checklist of Mediterranean pantry staples, which makes this an easy, natural fit for that style of eating. Serve them as a light lunch, a party appetizer, or piled into a pita with extra sauce for a full meal that feels both wholesome and satisfying. It's a great one to keep on rotation if you're building meals around Mediterranean-style ingredients.
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Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas thoroughly, then spread them on a clean kitchen towel and pat as dry as possible — excess moisture will make the falafel mixture too wet to hold together.
Add the dried chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt to a food processor. Pulse in short bursts, 10–12 times, until the mixture resembles coarse, damp sand — it should hold together when pressed between your fingers but not be a smooth paste. Scrape down the sides as needed.
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