This recipe is perfect for when you want the taste of a sun holiday from the comfort of your home
Treat your family and friends to this delicious meal from Clodagh McKenna’s cookbook In Minutes.
Ingredients:
100g couscous
100ml boiling hot vegetable stock
50g flat leaf parsley, chopped
50g mint, chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ a lemon
Handful of pomegranate seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Falafel
3 tablespoons olive oil
1x 400g can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 egg, beaten
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon fine salt
5 heaped tablespoons gram flour
For the Tahini Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons tahini
1 small garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- First make the couscous by placing it in a large heatproof bowl and pouring over the boiling vegetable stock. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for 5-6 minutes before fluffing it up with a fork and seasoning to taste.
- Make the tahini dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and whisking to combine. Season to taste and set aside.
- Next make the falafel. In a food processor combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and pulse until blended but not smooth, you want some texture.
- Mould the falafel mix into 10 equal sized balls, then flatten into pattie shapes.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the falafel for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Mix together the parsley, mint, tomato, olive oil, lemon juice. Season to taste and transfer to bowls along with the couscous. Top with the falafel and a good drizzle of tahini dressing. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and serve.
(Falafel substitute: For a quick alternative to falafel, use a good dollop of hummus, babaganoush or try pan frying diced aubergine in olive oil, garlic and cumin.)
