Crisp Herby Chickpea Falafel with Lemon Tahini Drizzle

⏱ 45 min · Serves 4

Shatteringly crisp outside, vividly green and fluffy within otpeas soaked overnight are the secret to falafel that never turns pasty. Pile them into warm flatbreads with a garlicky lemon tahini drizzle and a crunch of pickled onion.

Per serving: 720 kcal · 26.0g protein · 80.0g carbs · 33.0g fat

Ingredients

• 250g dried chickpeas, soaked in plenty of cold water for 12-24 hours (do not use tinned)
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 40g), leaves and thin stems
• 1 large bunch coriander (about 40g), leaves and thin stems
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp plain flour or chickpea flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 litre sunflower or rapeseed oil, for frying
• 4 tbsp tahini
• juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 4-6 tbsp cold water
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 flatbreads or pittas, to serve
• 1 tomato and 1/4 cucumber, diced, to serve

Method

1. Toss the sliced red onion with the vinegar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl and leave to pickle while you cook.
2. Drain the soaked chickpeas very well and pat dry on a tea towel they should be firm and about doubled in size. Do not cook them.
3. Put the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and salt in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts, scraping down, until you have a coarse, damp mixture like wet couscous fine enough to hold together when squeezed, not a smooth puree.
4. Tip into a bowl, stir through the flour, cover and chill for 15 minutes. Just before frying, mix in the bicarbonate of soda.
5. Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and grated garlic it will seize up, then loosen it with cold water a tablespoon at a time until pourable. Season with salt.
6. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan to 170C (a cube of bread should brown in about 40 seconds). Shape a heaped tablespoon of mixture into a compact ball or small patty, squeezing firmly.
7. Fry in batches of 5-6 for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. Test one first: if it falls apart, pulse the mix a little finer or add another teaspoon of flour.
8. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt. Serve hot in warm flatbreads with the tomato and cucumber, pickled onion and plenty of lemon tahini.