Recipes>Chickpea Recipes
Falafel with Tahina Cream in Pitta
by Sophie Grigson from My Kitchen Table: 100 Vegetarian Feasts
Easy
Serves 8
The perfect vegetarian lunch idea from Sophie Grigson. This homemade falafel is served with tahina cream, tomatoes, coriander and cucumbers in a toasted pitta.
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My Kitchen Table: 100 Vegetarian Feasts
Sophie Grigson
My Kitchen Table: 100 Vegetarian Feasts
100 delicious recipes to build your vegetarian repertoire
Delicious vegetable side dishes with a twist
Classic no-fuss recipes for easy midweek meals
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Introduction
Falafel are taking sandwich bars by storm, but if you want to taste them at their best make your own from dried chickpeas, not tinned. You’ll soon be totally hooked.
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Ingredients
| For the falafel: | |
|---|---|
| 225g (8oz) | dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water for 24 hours |
| 2 tsp | coriander seeds |
| 1 tbsp | cumin seeds |
| 1 | small onion |
| 2 | garlic cloves |
| 3 tbsp | chopped fresh coriander or parsley |
| 1 tbsp | flour |
| ¼ tsp | baking powder |
| Sunflower oil, for deep-frying | |
| For the tahina cream: | |
| 2 | garlic cloves, crushed |
| 175g (6oz) | light tahina paste |
| Juice of 1½ lemons | |
| Salt and cayenne pepper | |
| To serve: | |
| 8 | pitta bread |
| 4 | tomatoes, cubed |
| ½ | cucumber, sliced |
| 6 | lettuce leaves, shredded |
| Fresh coriander leaves | |
| 2 | lemons, quartered |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Essential kit
You will need a food processor.
Method
Chop the onion, garlic and coriander or parsley.
Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds and then grind to a powder. Drain the chickpeas and place in a food processor with the spices and all the remaining falafel ingredients, except the oil. Process until smooth. Break off a knob and fry until browned. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Leave for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the tahina cream. Put the crushed garlic into a bowl with the tahina. Beat in the lemon juice, then gradually beat in enough water to give a consistency of double cream. Don’t worry when at first the tahina seizes up like concrete. Season with salt and add a touch more lemon juice. Pour into a serving bowl and dust lightly with cayenne pepper.
Roll the falafel mixture into balls no bigger than a small walnut. Heat a large pan of oil to a temperature of 180°C/350°F (to test, drop a cube of bread in – it should immediately fizz and begin to brown within about 15 seconds). Deep-fry the falafel in batches until well browned. Drain on kitchen paper.
While the falafel are cooking, heat the pitta bread in the oven. Put the tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce into bowls on the table, with the tahina cream. When the falafel are done, arrange on a plate with the coriander and wedges of the lemon.
Let everyone fill their pitta with a few cubes of tomato, a shred or two of lettuce and a squeeze of lemon juice. Then a few falafel, followed by a drizzle of tahina cream, more tomato, lettuce, some cucumber, coriander and a little more lemon juice, salt and pepper and, finally, another slather of tahina cream.
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Ingredients
Method
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