Healthy Recipes Blog

Here’s a scrummy spring recipe for you that will appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike simply because it’s sooo tasty!

Falafel in Pitta

225g/8oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
100g chopped watercress
juice half a lemon
2 tbsp vegetable oil

To serve:
100g watercress
150g natural yogurt
1 crushed garlic clove
4 wholemeal pitta bread

Drain the chickpeas and place in a food processor with the tahini, salt, baking powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic, watercress and lemon juice. Whizz until very finely chopped but not puréed.

Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 6. Place a large roasting tin in the oven to heat up. Shape the mixture into 16 balls, then flatten slightly into patties.

Add the oil to the roasting tin, return to the oven for 2 mins, then carefully add the falafel, tossing to coat in hot oil. Bake for 20 mins, turning once until crisp and golden.

Whilst they cook, roughly chop half the remaining watercress and stir it into the yogurt with the garlic and season to taste. Lightly toast the pittas on each side, cut each in half and open up each half to make a pocket. Fill the pitta pockets with falafel, remaining watercress and the yogurt sauce. Serve whilst warm.