These slightly sweet falafels are soft and moist. They are perfect with humus, pita bread and salad, but I also like them warm with Apple sauce which I first had as a starter at the restaurant Caravan in Exmouth market and still remember it as a surprisingly brilliant combo. You can double or triple the amounts from the recipe and bake them in batches if you want to make more. My friends who I’ve tested this recipe on said that they’re the best falafels they’ve ever had!

Makes about 15 falafel.

Ingredients:
1 400g tin or a 380g carton of chick peas, drained completely
1/2 a small red onion finely chopped
2 cloves of roughly chop garlic
a small sprig of parsley
a small sprig of coriander
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup of sultanas
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 heaped tablespoon of wholemeal spelt flour , or plain flour
more olive oil for cooking, I use spray olive oil

How:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Oil a largish nonstick oven proof pan,to cook the falafel in, and put to one side.
Put all the ingredients in a food processor, except the flour and baking powder.
Blitz until thoroughly mixed, pushing the sides down now and then.
Now add the flour and baking powder and mix together till smoothish. At this point you can add more flour if the mix is too wet.
Roll or spoon the mixture into little balls the size of largish quail eggs and place in the prepared pan with a space between them as they can spread a bit.
Spray or drizzle with more olive oil and bake for 20 minutes, gently turning halfway through, then leave on tray till cooled and firmer. They are softish so they need gentle handling.
Serve straight away or store in fridge till needed.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl