Falafel

Serves 4

Preparation time 30 minutes
Chilling time 30 minutes
Cooking time 12 minutes

Method

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic in a food processor. Add the chick peas, cumin, bicarbonate of soda and plenty of seasoning and blitz until a smooth paste. Take out of the processor and put into a bowl.
2. Finely chop the coriander and parsley and stir into the chickpea mixture then press together into a ball.
3. Take off dessertspoons of the mixture and mould into egg shaped ovals with your hands then roll in flour. Chill for 30 minutes. Mix the cucumber salad ingredients together and chill.
4. Pour oil into a frying pan so that it is about 1 cm/1/2inch deep, heat up then fry the falafel in batches, turning until crisp and golden brown. Lift out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
5. Continue cooking the falafel in batches until all are cooked. Cook the pitta breads in a hot ridged frying pan or under the grill until puffy. Cut in half and fill with a little lettuce, spoonfuls of the cucumber salad and red onions. Garnish with extra coriander and serve immediately.