April's Chef
Featuring
Louise Folkard
Jam and Pickle Maker
at the Cane Workshop
April Chef's RecipeYotam Ottolenghi Falafels
April Chef's RecipeYotam Ottolenghi Falafels
Method
Lou says: "I make these falafels regularly as the whole family loves them, any leftover are great the next day in the kids packed lunch as a nibble or stuffed into a pitta bread.
The small folded flatbreads that all the supermarkets sell are really nice with these, or just use pitta breads toasted for a minute or two to open them up.
In the flatbread with the falafel we add chopped cucumbers, sliced baby tomatoes, mint yogurt + Reggae Reggae sauce, but chuck whatever you want in yours! Lettuce, sliced peppers, even coleslaw.
Somehow we started eating these with Reggae Regage sauce- Jerk BBQ and now can't have them without it, it's quite firey but addictive!
Mint yoghurt is just 1 tablespoon of plain yoghurt with 1 tap of mint sauce stirred in.
If you don't have some of the spices, Alston Wholefoods sell them all loose so you can buy a small amount, which is much better value instead of buying the ready filled bottled spices from the supermarket.
Similarly you can buy just one onion instead of a whole bag from Paul Jackson's Veg at the Market Cross Wed-Sat 9-12pm, or treat yourself to his wonderful organic vegetables.
These work out about £1 a head with everything except the sunflower oil. Plus you are left with about 10 falafels & salad for the next day "
Method
1. Put the chickpeas, garlic, herbs & chopped onion in a food processor. Blitz the mix in batches, pulsing each for 30–40 seconds, until it is finely chopped, but not mushy or pasty, and holds itself together. Once processed, add the spices, baking powder, 3⁄4 of a teaspoon of salt, flour, and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix well by hand until smooth and uniform. Cover the mixture and leave it in the fridge for 1 hour or until ready to use.
3. Fill a deep, heavy-based, medium saucepan with enough oil to come 7cm up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 180°C.
4. With wet hands, press 1 tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hand to form a patty or a ball the size of a small walnut, about 25g (you can also use a wet ice-cream scoop for this). Press them well as they tend to crumble and break.
5. Sprinkle the balls with a tiny amount of sesame seeds and deep-fry them in batches for 4 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through. It is important they really dry out on the inside so make sure they get enough time in the oil. Drain in a colander lined with kitchen paper and serve at once.
Cooking Time: 1.30 hrs including rest time
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Ingredients
1 tin chickpeas- 49p
1/2 a medium onion, finely chopped (80g in total) - 1kg bag 89p
1 garlic clove, crushed - 4 x bulbs 95p
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley - bag 60p
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander - bag 30p
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp plain flour - 1.5kg bag 58p
About 750ml sunflower oil for deep-frying - 1litre £2.40
1/2 tsp sesame seeds, for coating - TESCO 100g 90p
salt
Folded flatbreads x 4 £1.09 or Pittas x 6 - 55p
Yogurt - 45p for 500g
Mint sauce - 45p the jar
Raggae Reggae sauce Jerk BBQ - £1.50
Cherry tomatoes - 89p
Cucumber - 75p
Adapted from a Recipe from Ottolenghi Jerusalem
Portions: 4
A bit about LouiseMulti Award winning preserve maker.
They are all hand made by me, and all the fruit for the jams is grown on Alston Moor!
No nonsense, no artificial flavours, no allergens & all vegan.
Love cooking & love food! I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years, and the main conversation in our family is 'what's for tea? '
You can buy my produce in the Hive at Nenthead, the Nook just outside Alston, in the Wholefood Shop, my shop - The Cane Workshop in the town and from my website.
"Stokoe House 1611 jams, marmalade & chutnies."
Read more about Lou on our blog
Lou's Kitchen Tip
Left over Mashed Potatoes.
Make Patties
Next day fling it into a frying pan and squash it down to about a 1-2cm thick pattie, and fry until crispy underneath then flip it over and cook that side.
Lush with beans, fried eggs etc for a brunch.
