I have been wanting to make falafel for years but never been game to try it. Turns out, as long as you have a food processor, it’s really easy. And served family style with some dips, pita and a salad platter makes for a fun family meal.

Makes: 16
Prep: 15 mins (plus ideally 30 mins rest time) Cook: 30 mins 

Ingredients

Falafel

• 1/2 brown onion
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 3 cloves garlic or 3 teaspoons crushed
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons wholemeal plain flour (or you can use gluten free plain flour but you may need a tad extra)

Tabouleh

• 2 large truss tomatoes, diced
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1 large grated carrot, optional
• 1 red capsicum, optional
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped (stems are ok just not the thick bottom stem)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 lemons, juiced

To serve

• Pita bread
• Dip (bought or make your own: dip recipes here)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. To make falafel: blitz onion, parsley and garlic in food processor until blended
3. Drain one can chickpeas. Rinse well and dry them in a clean tea towel
4. Add chickpeas to processor with cumin and blend again for 10-20 seconds  (don’t purée you want some texture)
5. Mix in oil, baking powder and 4 tablespoons wholemeal plain flour. Stir and check you have a consistency that sticks together (if not add a little more flour)
6. Use heaped teaspoons to roll into balls
7. Place on a lined baking tray
8. If you have time place in fridge for 30 mins
9. Drizzle with extra oil and bake for 30 mins
10. Serve in pita bread with tabouleh (below) and dip or serve family style with pita, a salad platter and your fav dip (we like hummus or tzatziki on ours)

To make tabouleh

1. Mix the tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber and carrot in a large bowl and add the salt to draw the water out of the vegetables. Set aside for 10 minutes
2. Drain the water from the vegetables through a sieve
3. Return to a bowl and add the parsley, crushed garlic, oil and lemon juice to taste

Notes

You can use a food processor to chop the parsley quickly for tabouleh.

Any extra tabouleh works great as a salad by adding some bulgur soaked for 10 mins and mixed in.

If the pita bread is too thin to hold the filling inside, spread the ingredients on top and wrap.