Falafel in Pitta with Cucumber Salad
Serves: 4 Ready in: 30 to 60 mins
Ingredients:
[hd]For the falafel[/hd]
2 medium white British onions, quartered
3-4 garlic cloves
2 x 410g cans chickpeas, drained
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
salt and cayenne pepper
25g coriander leaves
25g fresh parsley
4 tbsp plain flour
vegetable oil for frying
[hd]For the cucumber salad[/hd]
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cucumber, deseeded and diced
2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
150g natural yoghurt
[hd]To serve[/hd]
6 pitta breads
2 little gem lettuces, shredded
1 red British onion, thinly sliced
extra fresh coriander, to garnish
method:
- Finely chop the onion and garlic in a food processor. Add the chickpeas, cumin, bicarbonate of soda and plenty of seasoning and blitz until a smooth paste. Take out of the food processor and put into a bowl.
- Finely chop the coriander and parsley and stir into the chickpea mixture then press together.
- Take off dessertspoons of the mixture and mould into egg shaped ovals with your hands, then roll in flour. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Mix the cucumber salad ingredients together and chill until needed.
- Pour oil into a frying pan so that it is about 1cm deep, heat up, and then fry the falafel in batches, turning until crisp and golden brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Continue cooking the falafel in batches until all are cooked. Cook the pitta breads in a hot ridged frying pan or under the grill until puffy. Cut in half and fill with a little lettuce, spoonfuls of the cucumber salad and red onions. Garnish with extra coriander and serve immediately.
