Falafel Forever

The ultimate in light fast food, Middle Eastern falafel have become a universally adored vegetarian comfort dish. Learn how to make best-ever falafel with tips and tricks and this creative collection of recipes.

Falafel are an ancient Middle Eastern food originally made with broad beans or chickpeas, which are crushed and mixed with herbs and spices and moulded into patties. They are then traditionally served in pitta bread pockets with salad and dips such as hummus, tzatziki or tahini sauce. The rest of the world have since caught on to the delights of falafel, and chickpea patties have steadily been becoming the darlings of vegans and vegetarians, picnic goers, festival food trucks and supermarket delis since the early 2000s. It's not hard to see why: quick, easy and inexpensive for home-cooks to make, they also fall into that wondrous overlapping category of being crave-worthy and satisfying (up there with chips and other such savoury morsels) as well as nutritious and fairly low in fat. What's more, chickpeas are a brilliant source of protein for those who don't eat meat. They are rich in fibre, as well as nutrients manganese and folate. But the health benefits don't stop with chickpeas - modern falafel are often made with added vegetables, nuts and seeds, lentils, or other grains and legumes, as are many in this book.