Rinse chickpeas under running water then soak them for at least 12 hours. Check instructions on packaging for specific types.
Drain the water.
If whole black pepper, cumin and coriander is used, as we should if we are after intense flavors, grind them.
Cut the fresh dill, parsley and cilantro leaves up.
Add drained chick peas, onion, garlic and salt into a food processor and run it until all the ingredients are well combined. Do it in batches if necessary.
Finish up by adding the ground up spices and the chopped green leaves too.
Cool the paste for easier handling in the fridge for an hour. To let the flavors develop, we can keep the falafel paste in the fridge overnight too.
Mix in optional sesame seeds then spoon out the mixture to desired size. Roll them into a balls with wet hands.
Fill a saucepan with oil so the balls are covered when placed in. Heat oil to medium high then add the falafel balls.
Fry falafel until crisp and browned on the outside, about 10 minutes.