Falafel Pockets

Falafel Pockets

Falafel pockets are one of those things we genuinely can't stop making. There's something about biting into a warm, crispy falafel stuffed inside fluffy pitta with cool, creamy sauce and fresh salad that just hits every time. The outside is properly golden and crunchy, the inside is soft and packed with herbs and spices, and the whole thing comes together into something that tastes like it took way more effort than it did. Yes, they take a bit of time, but trust us, once you've made falafel from scratch with dried chickpeas you'll never go back. Make a big batch this weekend and thank yourself later.

Cook: 80 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Soak dried chickpeas overnight in a large bowl (or skip if using tinned)
  • Food processor
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment paper
  • Freeze falafel balls for 30 minutes (or chill in fridge for 2 hours)
  • Preheat oven to 190°C (if baking falafels)

Ingredients

  • 250g dried chickpeas - Or 2 x400g Tinned Chickpeas
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp gram flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 45g fresh coriander
  • 45g fresh parsley
  • 2 tsp salt
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 red onion
  • ½ cucumber
  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sumac
  • 10g fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper
  • 60ml tahini
  • 40ml cold water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • flakey salt
  • 4 pieces of pitta bread
  • hummus
  • picked chillis

Method

1

Soak the chickpeas

  • Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water, at least twice their volume
  • Set aside and soak overnight
  • If you are using tinned chickpeas, skip straight to the next step
2

Make and shape the falafels

  • Drain the water from the chickpeas and rinse very thoroughly
  • Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic, then add to a food processor with the chickpeas, salt, pepper, cumin, ground coriander, cardamom and cayenne pepper
  • Blitz the mix in a couple of batches until you have a coarse paste, be sure not over process or it will become mushy
  • Rip the coriander and parsley leaves from their stems, and add to the food processor along with the gram flour and baking powder, and pulse until just combined
  • Adjust seasoning and consistency if needed with more flour- the mixture should be pliable, not too wet and keep its shape when pressed together
  • Scoop a heaped tablespoon of mixture out of the food processor
  • Roll into small balls, set down on the lined tray and repeat until all the mixture has been rolled
  • Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes (or in the fridge for a couple of hours) until firm
3

Make the salad and lemon tahini dressing

  • Finely slice the red onion and cucumber then roughly chop the tomato and parsley | In a small bowl, combine prepped veggies with the juice ½  lemon, olive oil, sumac, parsley, salt and pepper
  • Give the salad a good toss
  • Add the tahini to a bowl, squeeze in the juice of the lemons, then add the water in batches, whisking well with as much water as necessary to get a smooth single cream consistency
  • Season with a big pinch of sea salt
4

Cook the falafels

  • You can cook these falafels a few different ways, but the tastiest is shallow frying in vegetable oil for around 4-5 mins until golden and crispy
  • Alternatively, bake them at 190˚C on a well-oiled tray for 25-30 minutes (turning halfway through)
5

Assemble the pitta pockets

  • Toast the pita well, and halve into open pockets for assembly if needed
  • Add a good dollop of hummus on one side and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon
  • Pack the pita pockets with a good spoonful of the sumac salad, herby falafels, pickled veg and a big drizzle of tahini
  • Tuck in and enjoy

Tips & Variations

  • Nail the texture: Don't blitz the mixture too smooth in the food processor. Pulse it until it just comes together and holds its shape when pressed. A bit of roughness in the mix is exactly what you want.
  • Test before you fry: Fry one falafel first as a tester before cooking the whole batch. If it falls apart in the oil, add a tablespoon of flour to the mix and try again. Saves a lot of heartbreak.
  • Make ahead and freeze: These freeze brilliantly once shaped. Lay them on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag. You can cook them straight from frozen, just add a few extra minutes. Future you will be very grateful.

Why This Works

The real secret here is using dried chickpeas that you soak overnight rather than tinned ones. It sounds like a faff but it makes a massive difference to the texture, giving you falafels that are light and fluffy inside rather than dense and stodgy. The other thing is not over-processing the mixture, you want it to just come together with a bit of texture still in there, that's what gives them that gorgeous bite.