Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water by 4 inches. Soak overnight. Expect the beans to triple in volume. Drain beans and reserve the soaking water. (Do not worry about this if you are using canned chickpeas.)
Add the remaining ingredients except the oil to your blender jar.
For Vitamix: Set to Variable 10 and then turn off and on until minced but not pureed.
Add small amounts (no more than a tablespoon at a time) of the soaking water (or water) if needed to allow your blender to work. Adding too much water will make blending easier but will insure that your falafel falls apart during cooking. Taste. Then add more salt, pepper, cayenne or lemon juice to taste.
Add oil to a deep sauce pan. Set heat to medium high and heat to 350 F (if you have thermometer, use it).
Scoop heaping tablespoons of the batter and shape into balls or small patties. Fry in batches, without crowding, until golden brown, turning as needed. Total cooking time will be less than 5 minutes.
Serve into pita pockets with hummus and veggies or with french fries!
All done! Enjoy!! Now take a photo, rate it, and share your accomplishments to enter our weekly photo contest! :) Tag @BlenderBabes & #BlenderBabes
Notes
*If you cannot find dried chickpeas (or don't want to wait overnight), you could also use ~5 cups of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed = 3 cans.