Anyone who knows me will know just how deep my passion for ABC’s The Cook And The Chef runs. So it was with great sadness that I will watch the last-ever episode this week. This weekend gone, I have regaled everyone who would listen with my “I love how Maggie gets so delightfully offended by chilli” and “I love the way that Simon says Maggie’s name with such a charming ring to it” and other similar stories. But of course what I’ll really miss is the joy that Maggie and Simon brought to all of us foodies, with their exploration of Australian food, their willingness to try new and unusual things, and their never-ending persuit to shine a light on the great foods we have available to us now in Australia.
So it was prudent, of course, that I commenced my foray into Middle Eastern cookery with a tip of the hat to them, and the skill and charm that they have shared with us over the last few years. And what better way to do this than by whipping up Simon’s delicious Felafel with Yoghurt Sauce.
And boy what a way to start! This recipe was truly enjoyable – a long process that started at 9:20 this morning to my local nut shop to pick up the requisite chickpeas for soaking. It was surprising to check on them at midday prior to heading off to James St to see Balibo (which is a great film, by the way) to find that they had already swollen significantly – what a great process to witness, rather than getting them in a can! Regardless, when it came to cooking up the felafel at 3 o’clock this afternoon, my chickpeas weren’t sufficiently soft for ideal felafel texture. No harm done, though, as a quick boil for about 20 minutes or so had my lovely little chickpeas fat, soft and happy.
After straining and rinsing them, my kitchen compatriate, Nanda, and I engaged in the pleasant work of shelling the chickpeas over the sink – a little squeeze and they pop right out of their shells! I don’t think it’s a requirement that you shell the chickpeas, but according to another recipe I’ve read (for hummus) shelling the chickpeas gives a smoother consistency.
From there, it was just a matter of throwing all ingredients into a food processor (or in my case, a glorified blender) to get the chickpeas, onion and garlic combined to your liking, before throwing in all the dried spices followed by the fresh herbs. One mistake here for me, though, was that I ought to have cut the onions into smaller pieces (although those of you with a decent food processor probably won’t find this such an issue), as this went on to limit the stickiness of my batter, and they didn’t hold together so well.
Simon’s recipe is definitely heavy on the herbs, and it gives these falafel a distinctly green appearance. I rather like the affect of this approach too. From my exploration of Middle Eastern cookbooks thus far, it’s evident that coriander, mint and parsley are the herbal trinity of the region, and you’re likely to find one – if not all – in many recipes. The great thing about this is that the greens contrast so nicely with the browns of the meats, the golden yellows and browns of the pastries and the creamy colours of many of the dips, so you get lots of visually vibrant combinations.
Most enjoyable, though, is the Yoghurt sauce that goes with these falafel. Splendidly prepared by Nanda, the fresh, creamy yoghurt really lifts the texture of the falafel, and provides a beautiful contrast in temperature in your mouth. The lemon and garlic in this sauce provides a nice, acidic balance, too. I used good quality greek yoghurt as well, which gave it all a beautiful consistency, and subtle sweetness.
The only thing I might change next time round is finer preparation of the onions, and perhaps a little olive oil to keep the falafel together better (they tended to break apart a little on cooking). And please don’t be scared off by the many ingredients, as they are very easy to make. All in all, these little morsels were a splendid and simple start to my Middle Eastern culinary adventures.
Ingredients
Falafel
- 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
- 150g natural yoghurt
- 3 tablespoon tahini (we omitted the tahini, and it was fine without; woudl love to try it next time though!)
- 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)
Method
- Place dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover and soak in a lot of cold water overnight. Drain (If you run out of time to do this, soak for as long as possible, then boil the chickpeas until they are soft but still firm – you don’t want them too mushy!).
- 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 doesn’t 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.
Yoghurt Sauce
- For the Yoghurt Sauce, 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 (you could easily prepare this in advance).
Makes approx 16 small felafel
Recipe from Simon Bryant, The Cook and The Chef Episode 26, 5 August 2009
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