Light Bites
Middle Eastern
Middle EasternFalafel Wrap
A Middle Eastern wrap stuffed with falafel and salad, from a quick tinned-chickpea version to scratch-made soaked falafel with toum and pickles. The tiers move from shop-bought to hand-shaped and fried.
Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Nut-free
Ultimate version
Dried-chickpea falafel with herbs, garlicky toum, sumac salad and homemade pickles.
Per serving£4.10
Total cost£8.20
Time52 min
Ingredients for 2
- 2 fresh laffa or khubz flatbread
- sea salt , to taste
- For the falafel
- 200 g dried chickpeas , soaked overnight, not cooked
- 30 g flat-leaf parsley
- 20 g fresh coriander
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 l sunflower oil , for deep frying
- To serve
- 1 egg-free toum (whipped garlic sauce) , or 4 tbsp shop toum
- 4 pickled turnips or gherkins , sliced
- For the sumac salad
- 2 tomatoes , diced
- 1 tsp sumac
Method
- Drain the soaked raw chickpeas and blitz with the herbs, garlic and cumin to a fine, grainy paste. Season and chill 30 minutes, then stir in the bicarbonate of soda.
- Shape into walnut-sized balls and deep fry at 170C in batches for 3-4 minutes until dark golden and crisp through.
- Toss the diced tomato with sumac and a pinch of salt for the salad.
- Warm the flatbreads over a flame until blistered and pliable.
- Smear with toum, then layer the sumac salad, hot falafel and pickles down the centre.
- Roll tightly, wrap in paper and serve at once while the falafel are crisp.
Equipment
- food processor
- deep saucepan
- thermometer
- slotted spoon
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Shop-bought falafel, plain wraps and a quick salad with shop hummus.
Better
Spiced tinned-chickpea falafel fried fresh, with tahini sauce and pickled onion.
Ultimate
Dried-chickpea falafel with herbs, garlicky toum, sumac salad and homemade pickles.
