Falafel is eaten throughout the Middle East usually wrapped in bread as a sandwich. It makes an ideal meal for vegetarians and vegans, it can also be served as a starter. The main ingredients are dried broad beans and chickpeas, the rest can be varied to suit your taste, for instance, if you don’t like coriander, you could substitute it with parsley or if you like your Falafel spicier you could add chillies. In the end, we will be looking for is a tasty mixture that binds well when you shape it.

Makes about 23 patties

Ingredients

• 150g skinless dried split broad beans soaked overnight in water.
• 100g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water.
• 1 medium onion peeled.
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled and smashed to a paste.
• 30g fresh coriander, rough stalks discarded, washed and dried.
• 20 g fresh parsley, rough stalks discarded, washed and dried.
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda.
• Lemon juice if the mixture is too dry.

Seasoning

• Salt to taste.
• 1 tsp ground black pepper.
• 2 generous tsp cumin
• 1tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1tsp chilli flakes (optional) 

To serve

• Lebanese bread, allow 1 bread per person.
• Mixture of sliced radishes, chopped parsley, tomatoes, lettuce, and pickled turnips.
• Tahini sauce (See recipe in Sauces)

Method

1. Soak broad beans and chickpeas separately in water, leave it for several hours, ideally overnight.
2. When you are ready to cook, rinse the broad beans, drain then rub them on a tea towel to dry. Do the same with the chickpeas.
3. Cut the onion into quarters, then whizz in the food processor until fine.
4. Now, tip in broad beans, chickpeas, along with the rest of the ingredients adding 1tsp bicarbonate of soda. Process until you reach a mixture that binds together firmly. What you’ll be looking for is that the consistency shouldn’t be too coarse or too smooth. Taste and adjust taste if necessary, then cover and leave it to rest for an hour.
5. If it is too moist, which is very unlikely add 1tbsp of flour. If it is dry add 1tbsp lemon juice. To test it, take a small amount with your hand, if you can bind it together, it is ready, if not add more lemon juice or water until the consistency seems right to you.
6. To shape the falafel, you can use Falafel mould which is widely available. Or you can use the ice cream scoop. Take a small amount of the mixture, and fill the mould or the ice cream scoop, try to give the falafel the shape of a dome. Place each shaped falafel on a plate, continue likewise with the rest until the mixture is finished. Let the falafel patties rest while heating the oil.
7. Heat the oil to about 190 C, if you like sesame seeds, roll out each patty in the sesame seeds before dropping it into the hot oil, do likewise with the rest. Deep fry for about 3 minutes turning them once or twice until they reach a deep golden brown colour. Drain on a kitchen paper, keep warm.
8. To serve: Open up the bread, leaving the other half attached, put the patties creating one row in the middle, top it with the salad of your choice then toss with the tahini sauce, flip the other half of the bread, roll it up, wrap the bottom side with paper parchment (to catch the excess juice) and enjoy. Alternatively, serve the falafel on a plate with a little salad, bread and sauce on the side.
9. Falafel freeze well. Defrost before use and warm in a preheated oven 180 for about 4-5minutes.
10. You can also freeze the mixture uncooked but you don’t add the bicarbonate, until you’re ready to use.