MATTY'S FABULOUS MINTY FALAFEL

I have tried to make falafel's in the past but they always turned into a big mushy mess. I just never seemed to be able to get the consistency of the uncooked chickpea based mixture right so they just dissolved as soon as they hit the pan. Not so with the minty falafels I've managed to perfect here, they were spot on! Made with carrot, onion, cumin and mint, they are absolutely delightful and (if you have a food processor!) they are super simple to make. So much so you'll be whipping these middle eastern bad boys up all the time!

Now, with my difficulties with falafel in the past I advise that you don't change the base ingredients of these falafel or their quantities in case they don't hold their shape in the frying pan. Therefore you should always use the chickpeas (obvs!), carrots, spring onion, eggs and flour in the volumes mentioned in my recipe below. You have been warned!

Where you can mix things up if you wish is by using different herbs and spices from the cumin and mint in the recipe below although I found the combination of cumin and mint works really well. You can use another herb such as coriander if you wish but whatever herb you do decide to use then make sure that it is fresh. Using dried herbs might cause your falafel to become grainy as the dry herb won't be processed properly in the food processor. If you're not a fan of cumin then why not try a different spice such as paprika or turmeric instead. Let your imagination run wild and make the perfect falafel for you!

My perfect falafel recipe is coming up for you now. You should be able to get 14-16 falafel out of the mix, more than enough for two people and just the right amount for four. Make sure you have a couple of lightly greased baking trays to hand as well before you start so you can line up your uncooked and cooked falafel during the process below;

Minty Falafel

400g Tin Of Chickpeas

2 Peeled And Chopped Carrots

4 Spring Onions

4 Tsp Cumin Seeds

Large Handful Of Chopped Fresh Mint

2 Eggs

Salt And Pepper To Season

Approximately 8 Tbsp Plain Flour

1. Drain your chickpeas and pat them dry with some kitchen roll before adding them into a food processor with the carrots, spring onions, cumin seeds and mint and give everything a quick blitz to form a paste. 
2. Crack in the eggs and add in a good dose of salt and pepper to season before blitzing again until everything is well combined. Slowly begin to spoon in the flour and blitz until you the mixture is thick enough to mold into balls (you may not need all the flour for this).
3. Take a heaped tbsp of the mixture and mold into a ball between the palm of your hands. Place on a baking tray to rest and repeat with the remaining mixture until you have used it all up and created a tray full of balls.
4. Take a large frying pan and pour in enough oil to cover the base of the pan in a 3mm layer. Turn your oven onto a low heat.
5. Warm up the oil on a medium heat until it's hot and then start placing the balls into the pan (don't overcrowd the pan, you will need to do this in batches!). Fry for 3 minutes until golden brown and firm and then flip the balls and fry on the other side for a further 3 minutes. If the falafel are browning too quick then turn down the heat of the hob slightly.
6. Remove the cooked falafel from the pan and drain on some kitchen roll. Pop them on a second baking tray and place into the oven to keep warm. Repeat this process with the remaining uncooked falafel balls until they are all cooked.

Once all your falafel have all been fried, remove the tray with the cooked falafel from the oven and serve. I find the falafel make a delicious filling for some veggie wraps. Take a flatbread or tortilla, spread over some sour cream or tzatziki, sprinkle over some shredded white cabbage or lettuce and then line up for falafel before wrapping everything up into a delicious yummy parcel and get stuck in. You could just take your falafel and dunk them straight into a dip as well if you can't be bothered with all that faff! However you decide to serve them be prepared for a delightful minty treat. Fabulous!