Falafel and Fattoush Salad Lebanese Veg Recipes

The Cook and the Chef hosts Maggie and Simon tip their hats to the magical Mediterranean flavours of Lebanese cuisine. The yogurt he uses in the sauce is the only non vegan ingredient.

FELAFAL WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Falafel Ingredients
1 cup dried chickpeas
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
5 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoons baking powder
sesame seeds to coat (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Veg Oil for frying
yoghurt sauce to serve

Yoghurt Sauce Ingredients
150g natural yoghurt
3 tablespoon tahini
1 clove garlic, crushed with a little salt
1 lemon juice
pepper to taste
herbs to taste (mint, coriander and parsley
smoked paprika or sumac to garnish (optional)

Falafel Method
Place dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover and soak in a lot of cold water overnight. Drain.

Puree chickpeas in a blender, the degree of blend depending on your own preference. Add garlic, onion, chillies, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Fold through all fresh herbs. Add just enough flour to get the mixture to come together into a ball, pulsing as you add each bit of flour until it is the right consistency. Pulse in the baking powder and check the seasoning, it may need more salt. Trial one in the oil to see that it doesnt fall apart which will happen if there are cracks in the mixture, and that the oil is hot enough.

Form into balls about the size of a golf ball, and flatten into little discs. Coat in sesame seeds.

Fry in oil until golden brown and serve with Yogurt Sauce.

Yogurt Sauce Method
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, and check for seasoning. Put into a small bowl, sprinkle with a little smoked paprika or sumac, and top with chopped herbs and a dribble of olive oil.

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FATTOUSH

Ingredients
Serves 4 as entrée or side:

2 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into cubes
1 golden shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup mint, roughly chopped
2 flat breads or pita bread
Extra virgin olive oil (evoo) for frying

Dressing:
1 clove garlic very finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sumac
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Wash the tomatoes and chop into a rough dice repeat with the cucumbers and mix together in a large bowl. Add the sliced shallot, and the herbs. Season with a little sea salt and set aside.

To make the dressing, blend all of the ingredients together adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and leave to infuse.

In the mean time, add a little evoo to a large frying pan, break the flat breads or pitta bread into chunks, and fry off in batches until crisp.

Just before serving toss the fried flatbread through the salad, add a little more salad dressing and serve immediately.