Mezze with falafel and pickles

Method

1. Set the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then dry them very thoroughly on a clean tea towel, since wet chickpeas make falafel that fall apart.
2. Start on the pickles. Slice the cucumbers and carrots into thin rounds, toss them in a bowl with the rice vinegar and half a teaspoon of salt, and leave them to sit, tossing now and then, while everything else cooks.
3. Roughly chop the onion and peel the garlic. In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas, onion, garlic, most of the parsley, the cumin, the plain flour and half a teaspoon of salt to a coarse crumb that holds together when squeezed. It should not be a paste.
4. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 14 to 16 balls, flatten each one slightly, set them on the tray and brush all over with the olive oil.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, turning them carefully halfway, until firm, crisp outside and golden brown.
6. Stir the tahini with a pinch of salt, adding cold water a spoonful at a time until it pours. Drain the pickles.
7. Put the flatbread in the oven for the last 3 minutes to warm. Arrange the falafel, pickles and flatbread on a large board with the tahini sauce in a bowl and the rest of the parsley scattered over.

Tip Falafel mix that is too wet falls apart, so squeeze a handful. If it will not hold, pulse a little longer or add another spoonful of flour.

Photo made with AI.

From Nosha · nosha.app