These fast-food delights are great wherever you are. Simply make the felafel, stick 'em in pittas with some salad and off you go.
Ingredients
- 2 x 410g cans chickpeas, drained
- and rinsed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Large handful fresh flatleaf parsley
- Large handful fresh coriander, plus extra to serve
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste, from supermarkets, optional)
- 150ml vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
- 8 wholemeal pitta breads, warmed
- 16 red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cucumber, thickly sliced
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
- 1. Pulse the chickpeas in a processor until coarsely ground. Add the onion, herbs, garlic, flour, baking powder, chilli, cumin and tahini, if using, and pulse to a coarse paste. Season, shape into 16 small discs and chill on a baking tray for 20 minutes.
- 2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add half the falafel and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper while you cook the rest.
- 3. Fill each pitta with 2 falafel and some tomato, cucumber and extra coriander leaves. Serve 2 per person, with lemon wedges to squeeze over.