Green Pea & Chickpea Croquetas (AKA the giant falafel)
These are quick to make, high in fibre, and use store cupboard ingredients. Experiment with dried fava beans, fresh peas, sweet potato or beetroot but do make giant ones like the mouth-watering ones at Brunswick House – it will save you masses of time and there is something satisfying about the size. Just make sure they are properly seasoned and rich in cumin and garlic. Makes 6-8, depending on size.
Ingredients
3 garlic cloves
A small white onion, peeled and chopped
A small bunch of parsley, leaves and fine stalks
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
125g defrosted frozen peas
1 tsp salt
2 ½ tbsp gram, plain or self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
Vegetable or corn oil for frying
To serve
2 carrots, peeled and finely shredded
2 courgette, finely shredded
8 small warm pitta breads
For the garlic yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
125g Greek yoghurt
1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Recipe
Stir the crushed garlic into the yoghurt, season and set aside. My children hate tahini but otherwise add 1 heaped tbsp of tahini to the yoghurt.
To make the falafels, put the onion, garlic, herbs and spices in a food processor and blitz until coarsely chopped. Drain the chickpeas, and roughly dry in a tea towel. Make sure the peas are dry too. Add to the processor along with the salt, gram flour and baking powder. Blitz again until all is finely chopped. You can keep it a little coarser if you like a chunky falafel.
Scoop 4 heaped tablespoons into your hands and shape into large oval patties and leave to rest.
Heat 3cm of vegetable oil to 160-180C in a wok (a small piece of bread should sizzle).
Fry the falafels in 2-3 batches, turning them occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until a deep caramel colour, then remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Insert a sharp knife into one and if it comes out hot after 5 seconds, they are hot in the middle, if not you can pop into a hot oven for 5 minutes.
Leave to rest while you toast the pittas. Drizzle with olive oil, stuff with the shredded courgette and carrot and drizzle with the garlic-yoghurt and a drizzle of your favourite chilli sauce. Or pack the components up for the lunchbox!