Falafel with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

Crispy, spiced falafel made from chickpeas with herbs and cumin, served with a creamy lemon-tahini sauce. A classic mezze to share that also works well as a snack.

By yumbelo · 4 servings · 75 minutes

Ingredients

• 250 g dried chickpeas
• 1 pc onion
• 2 pc garlic cloves
• 1 bunch bunch of flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bunch bunch of coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 750 ml frying oil
• 4 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 150 g plain yoghurt
• 80 ml water
• 1 pc cucumber

Method

1. Soak the chickpeas the evening before in plenty of cold water until they have doubled in size, then drain them well.
2. Peel and coarsely dice the onion. Peel the garlic. Wash the parsley and coriander and pick off the leaves.
3. Finely chop the chickpeas, onion, garlic and half of the herbs until a coarse crumbly mixture forms. Do not purée it into a paste.
4. Mix in the cumin, ground coriander, baking powder, flour, salt and pepper and let the mixture rest for 20 minutes.
5. For the sauce, stir the tahini together with the lemon juice, then gradually stir in the water until smooth and creamy. Stir in the yoghurt and season with salt.
6. Wash the cucumber and slice it thinly.
7. Heat the frying oil in a deep pot to about 170 °C. As a test, drop in a small piece of the mixture: it should start sizzling immediately.
8. Shape about 16 small, flat balls or patties from the mixture with wet hands.
9. Fry the falafel in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown, lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
10. Arrange the falafel with the cucumber and the remaining herbs and serve the sauce alongside.