Falafels
The great thing about falafels is that you can sort of make them up as you go along. Ensure you are using chickpeas as your base and add in whatever you fancy - spices, pulses, veggies, herbs.
You don't want the texture getting too soggy - if it does just add a little more flour to even it out and make the falafels mouldable. This is how I made mine ??
- grated bunch of raw beetroot (about 500g)
- 2 grated carrots
- drained tin of chickpeas x 2
- couple of tablespoons of tahini
- handful raw kale
- a few chopped garlic cloves
- a teaspoon cumin seeds
- a few tablespoons of chickpea flour (gram flour)
- salt and pepper
Whizz all of the above together in a food processor and then roll into small patties.
Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and cook for about 15-20 mins at 200 degrees.
There was loads of falafel mix from this so you can halve it and put the rest in the freezer for a different day. Simply get it out when you want to use it, once defrosted shape into patties and cook as above. If the mixture has gone a little wet from being in the freezer just add in extra gram flour before shaping into the patties.
Houmous
We love houmous ~ admittedly we usually end up buying the supermarket stuff due to convenience. If you have the time it is so nice to make your own as it does taste loads better and you are safe in the knowledge there are no nasty preservatives added! Here is how I make ours.
Whizz together in your food processor:
- 2 tins chickpeas drained
- crushed garlic cloves (about 4)
- juice of 2 lemons
- 4 tablespoons tahini
See what the consistency is like, if it’s too stodgy then add a little water or olive oil to get it a bit runnier. Perfect for dipping!
Serve your falafels and houmous with flatbreads, a nice crunchy salad, - also great with pickled red cabbage and a bit of sriracha sauce if you like a bit of heat.