Falafel

Recipe from  Middle Eastern Cooking by Jenny Ridgwell

Serves 4-6

1lb chick-peas, soaked overnight
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 medium onion
4 spring onions, very finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
oil for deep frying

Drain the chick-peas.  to make the chick-peas easier to grind, remove the skins by rubbing with a tea-towel.  Mince the chick-peas or grind in a processor, then add the remaining ingredients and work to a smooth paste.  Leave to rest for 30  minutes.

With wet hands, shape a dessertspoon of the mixture into a patty, 1 1/2 inch round.

Heat the oil & deep-fry the falafel until golden brown.  Drain on kitchen paper.  Serve hot or place inside pita bread with some lettuce, a squeeze of lemon juice & some Tahini sauce.

Tahini Sauce

1/4 pint tahini
3-4 tbs water
juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsely
salt, freshly ground pepper

Mix the tahini to a smooth paste w/the water, then blend in the lemon juice & other ingredients.