These traditional falafels are made with soaked dried chickpeas and are flavoured with lots of fresh herbs and spices. They do need to be deep-fried for them to cook through to the middle and be lovely and crunchy on the outside. Serve them with a striking coloured beetroot houmous.

Herb Falafel with Beetroot Houmous

Herb Falafel

Makes approx 16

Dietary: Vegan, Gluten-free

Soaking time: overnight | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g dried chickpeas
• 2 green chillies, deseeded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 15g fresh parsley leaves
• 50g fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp gram flour (or plain flour)
• Sunflower oil for deep-frying

Method

1. Soak the chickpeas in plenty of cold water overnight. Rinse and drain.
2. Place the soaked chickpeas in a food processor with all the other ingredients and blend until you have a rough thick porridge consistency.
3. Heat a wok or high sided saucepan half full of oil deep enough so that falafel can be fully submerged. Heat the oil to 170C and spoon a few walnut sized balls (we like to make ours torpedo shaped) of mixture at a time into the hot oil and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep golden brown colour. Drain on kitchen paper.

Beetroot Houmous

Serves 2/4
Dietary: Vegan, Gluten-free
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 150g cooked beetroot
• 400g can chickpeas

• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 garlic clove, chopped

• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Roughly chop the cooked beetroot.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. (Keep the chickpea liquid from the tin for aquafaba. This can be frozen if you don’t want to use it at once)
3. Put the beetroot and chickpeas in a food processor with the tahini, garlic, ground cumin, lemon juice and olive oil. Blitz until fairly smooth.
4. Taste and add salt and black pepper and more lemon juice if you wish.

Delicious food photography by Rob Wicks of Eat Pictures.

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