Chickpea Falafel Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cup Chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 2 tsp Coriander seeds
- 2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 Onions, finely chopped
- 3 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 handful of fresh Coriander, tough stalks removed, leaves chopped
- 1 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Soda bicarbonate
- 3 tsp Ginger
- Cooking oil for frying
- Lemon Juice 2 tsp
- black pepper
Method:
- Drain the chickpeas and dry with paper towels.
- Roughly grind the coriander and cumin seeds with a pestle and mortar.
- Put the chickpeas in a food processor with the spices, onions, garlic, chillies, herbs, and salt and pepper. Blitz for a minute or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until you have a grainy pulp.
- Take walnut-sized portions of the mixture and form into flat patties about 2cm thick. If you don’t want to cook them immediately, place in a single layer on plates and store in the fridge, covered, for up to 24 hours.
- Pour the oil into a deep-fryer or large saucepan. Heat to 190°C, or until a bit of the falafel mixture resurfaces at once, bubbling furiously.
- Cook the falafel a few at a time, for 2-3 minutes until deep golden-brown. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towel.
- Serve warm or cold with tzatziki. Or serve with Pita Bread and salad.
For the tzatziki
Ingredients:
- ½ cucumber, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 150g/5oz thick Greek-style yoghurt
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
Method:
- To make the tzatziki, spread the cucumber dice out in a colander or sieve, and sprinkle over the vinegar and a little salt.
- Leave to drain for one hour, then pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.
- Mix with the rest of the tzatziki ingredients, then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve either lightly chilled or at room temperature.