Falafels are a great picnic food, especially when served with this tangy tzatziki. Put them in a wrap or pita, or just eat them with your fingers! You could deep-fry them, but it’s easier (and obviously healthier) to bake them. The trick is to use a muffin tray: the heat radiating from all sides helps them to crisp up evenly.
Ingredients for the falafel
- 2 tins chickpeas
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3 small dried chillies (reduce if you prefer a subtle bite)
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh coriander
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 3 Tbs flour
- A good pinch of salt
Ingredients for the tzatziki
- 250 ml greek yoghurt
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ of one large cucumber, peeled if that’s your preference
How to make the baked falafels
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease two mini-muffin tray
- Mix all ingredients except the flour, and either blitz in a food processor or mash by hand
- Mix in the flour, adding a teaspoon or two extra if it’s too sticky
- Roll the mixture into balls between your palms: about the size of a ping-pong ball is what you’re going for. There’s definitely a knack to this, so don’t worry if you start with a few weirdly-shaped ones
- Put them into your muffin tins: if you have too many leftover, it’s fine to cook some on a baking tray
- Bake for about 40 mins, turning half-way
How to make the tzatziki
Finely chop the cucumber: if you have time, it’s best to gather it in a clean tea-towel and squeeze out some liquid for a few minutes. Mix all the ingredients and keep it cool.
