Ingredients: Makes 25 falafel
- 1 warm, toasted pita
- ½ large beef tomato
- Handful of salad leaves
- 1 tbsp of vegan tzatziki (make your own using dairy-free yoghurt or mayonnaise)
- 250 g dried chickpeas (or around 500g of cooked)
- 1 medium sized onion, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Salt to taste
- Around 750ml sunflower oil for deep-frying / deep fat fryer
Method:
- Rinse the chickpeas twice in running water and soak them in nearly twice the amount of water for at least 8 hours or overnight. They should nearly double in size. After soaking, drain the water and rinse again.
- In batches, add the chickpeas to a food processor, along with the chopped onion, garlic, cumin and coriander powder, and pulse until a smooth paste, scraping down the side.
- Add the chopped parsley and coriander leaves and blend again – adjust salt as needed.
- Once you have achieved the desired texture for the falafel mixture, transfer them to a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to cook.
- Add the baking powder to the falafel mixture then roll into small, equal balls.
- Prepare your fryer. Check the oil is hot enough with a small bit of falafel, then add in the falafel balls in batches of 4-5, and fry for around 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on a sheet.
- Serve in your delicious pita with lettuce and Tzatziki or in a salad or wrap.
