Falafel with Tahini Sauce
This is a very tasty light starter or can be part of a meze spread. You can prepare this dish in advance and reheat in a low oven when ready to serve.
Makes 10
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 x 400g/14 oz tin of chick peas, drained
Sea salt & pepper
1 small handful of fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 lemon, zest only
2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped
½ onion, peeled & finely chopped
1 small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Vegetable oil for shallow frying
Tahini Sauce
1 tbsp tahini
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
Method
1. Place the chick peas into a food processor with a good pinch of salt and blitz. Add the rest of the ingredients except the oil and blend until you have a fine bread crumb texture. Season to taste.
2. Shape the mixture into golf ball sizes and place on a tray, cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. For the sauce, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly, season to taste.
4. For the falafel, heat 2cm of oil in a large frying pan, make sure that the oil is fully heated through. Shallow-fry for 4-5 minutes, turn occasionally until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven until all the rest are cooked.
5. Serve the falafels with the tahini sauce. You could also serve them with warm pitta bread and salad.