By Antonia Maguire
This recipe is pretty fool-proof! For a vegan version, you can leave out the egg and substitute for aquafaba (the liquid from the can of chickpeas), or some soaked linseeds. I have fried these rather than baking them as I fry very little food, and it does give them a fantastic crunch. Serve in some warm flatbreads, with crunchy salad with this yummy tahini flavoured yoghurt. The kids will love these too!
These are delicious served hot, but also make a lovely healthy snack if you have any leftover, and will keep for a couple of days in the fridge. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe!
Ingredients
(Makes about 20 falafels )
400g chickpeas - either from a can, or soak a batch of dried chickpeas over night and then simmer them for 45 minutes and drain. You can use the excess for a nice Chana curry, or in a salad.
6 Spring onions, or one small onion, chopped
30g bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten (sub for aquafaba for vegan option)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed,
1/2 lemon - zest and juice
2 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
2 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp of tahini
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
A decent pinch of cayenne pepper, or chili powder
Salt and pepper
Rape or sunflower seed oil to fry
Warmed flat bread or pitta to serve.
For the sesame sauce:
3 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tahini
Method
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
2. Working in batches, pulse the mixture in a food processor and season well. You can leave some of the chickpeas quite lumpy for texture.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining all ingredients and season well.
5. When it's time to make the falafels, use dampened hands to make golf ball-sized pieces and flatten them slightly. The mixture should come together really well but if it's too dry, add a little more lemon juice or some chickpea water.
6. Gently heat the oil, testing the heat with a pea-sized piece of the mix. Then fry the falafels in batches for 2-3 minutes. Drain them on kitchen paper and eat whilst they are hot! Serve with warmed flatbread or pitta.
