Falafel with Baba Ganoush
John and Lisa have some fantastic fragrant food in their Weekend Kitchen, This is their falafel wraps served with a smoky Baba Ganoush.
Falafel with Baba Ganoush
Serves 4
Ingredients
Falafel
250g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 ½ tsp cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 stick celery
1 small green chilli
A bunch of fresh coriander
A bunch of fresh parsley
A bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
1 tsp cayenne pepper or sumac
salt and pepper
100ml vegetable oil, for frying
Tahini, lemon juice etc, to serve
Baba Ganoush
2 aubergines
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp tahini
Juice of 2 lemons, plus some zest
2 tsp cumin, ground
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Method
Falafel
1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and add to a food processor, along with the celery, onion, garlic cloves and green chilli and pulse until roughly blended.
2. Remove a couple of big spoonfuls of the mixture and set to one side.
3. Into the processor add the bicarb, cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh herbs and pulse for around a minute until the mixture is bright green.
4. Return the reserved third of the mixture back to the bowl and stir through, to add some texture.
5. Fry in a deep pan filled with hot vegetable oil. The oil should not be too hot, around 175 degrees.
6. Use a tablespoon to measure out small nuggets of mixture and carefully drop into the hot oil.
7. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side. The falafel are nearly ready when they float to the surface.
8. Serve alongside the baba ganoush, plus some flatbreads, green chillies and red cabbage, if desired.
Baba Ganoush
1. Roast the aubergines directly over a gas flame on the hob until the skins are blackened. Leave to cool and then peel the charred skin away.
2. Put the aubergine flesh into a food processor with the garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, cumin, parsley and some salt and pepper and blitz to a rough paste. Transfer to a serving dish.
3. Drizzle with the olive oil and scatter with the parsley.