2011 Cooking Club Week 34: Falafel, Flatbread and Baba Ganoush

foodaholic

This is just a few nibbles that I would do with a few glasses of Vino . I would usually serve it with some hummus, there is already a thread on cooking and recipes for hummus if anyone want to make this as well, or will post my recipe if anyone wants.
Will post pics tomorrow.
Hope you enjoy

Flatbread

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp dried yeast
250 ml warm water
500 g plain or wholemeal flour, or a mix of both, plus extra for dusting
60 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1-2 Tbsp nigella seeds (onion seeds) this is optional
sea salt, for sprinkling

Method:
1. In a jug, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Put the flour and nigella seeds into a large mixing bowl and make a wide well in the middle.

2. Gradually pour in the extra virgin olive oil and the water/yeast mixture and stir slowly with one hand, bringing the flour into the middle until it all comes together to form a dough.

3. Using the ball of your hand, knead until your dough is elastic and smooth. Shape into a ball, cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 1-2 hours in a warm, dry place.

4. Either heat up a griddle pan or preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7. If you’re using the oven I use a pizza stone or up-turned oven trays that have been preheated.

5. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and roll each one out to ½ cm (or less) thick. Sprinkle with sea salt and either bake in the oven on your preheated trays (drizzle the trays with extra virgin olive oil first) for approx 10mins minutes, or until lightly golden, or lay them carefully on a hot griddle to grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.


Falafel

Ingredients:
175 g dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water for 24 hours. (your falafel is not supposed to break up as much if you us dried over tinned - use whatever you have handy)
85 g dried fava beans (broad beans - if you cant find any just use all chickpeas), soaked in cold water for 24 hours
handful parsley, leaves only, chopped
handful coriander, leaves only, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp salt
1½ freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper, (optional)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)
3 tbsp sesame seeds
groundnut oil, for deep frying
2 tbsp flour

Method:
1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and fava beans.

2. Sprinkle the parsley and coriander into a food processor and chop finely. Tip in the chickpeas, fava beans, and all the remaining ingredients apart from the sesame seeds, groundnut oil and flour, and blend to a coarse mixture.

3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the sesame seeds, lemon juice and flour, then set aside to rest for about an hour.

4. To cook the falafels, preheat a deep fat fryer or shallow fry. Take about a tablespoon of the falafel mixture and shape into a rough round. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

5. Deep-fry the falafels for 3-4 minutes in the groundnut oil, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the hot oil and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients:
2 aubergines
2 tbsp tahini, paste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
pinch ground cumin
1 lemon, juice only
salt - to taste

Method:
1. Prick the aubergine all over with a fork, then place directly over a gas flame for 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened all over. Alternatively, place the aubergine on the top shelf under a hot grill for the same amount of time.

3. Set the aubergine aside until cool enough to handle, then cut it in half down its length. Holding onto the stalk, scoop the flesh out into a colander to drain off the juices. Discard the skin.

4. Transfer the aubergine flesh into a food processor and pulse briefly to roughly chop. Add the tahini, garlic, cumin and a squeeze of lemon juice, then blend to a rough paste or smooth whatever your preferenc. Add more lemon juice and salt to taste.

omah

I have just found this thread - thanks so much for posting these recipes - they are really lovely!

Padraig Mor

For some reason I always thought falafel was a ground beef dish!

foodaholic

If it was up to the Irish im sure we'd try

foodaholic

Here is the pictures, sorry for the delay folks.

BaZmO*

Oooh, looks great!

joshrogan

Can you get tahini paste in supermarkets or do I have to go somewhere else for it.

BaZmO*

joshrogan wrote: »

Can you get tahini paste in supermarkets or do I have to go somewhere else for it.

Not sure about regular supermarkets but you'll definitely get it in Asia markets and for much cheaper than a regular supermarket.

Dotcomdolly

joshrogan wrote: »

Can you get tahini paste in supermarkets or do I have to go somewhere else for it.

They also stock it in health food shops

unkel

joshrogan wrote: »

Can you get tahini paste in supermarkets or do I have to go somewhere else for it.

It's super easy to make yourself! And it keeps in the fridge for months. Mix* one large cup of sesame seeds (very cheap in any asian shop) with a quarter to a third cup of olive oil and make a paste in your food processor)

*Toast the sesame seeds first in the oven at 180c shaking them up every few minutes. Toast until golden brown.

Curry Addict

looks great ill be making this :pac:

foodaholic

superquinn stock tahini and so does Avoca. Nearly all the healthfood shops do too.

Little Alex

I love hummus, falafel and co., so it was about time to make this!



I've made baba ganoush, I often make hummus, but I've never made falafel before.

Loved them!

One thing I have to say is that I did buy raw chickpeas and soaked them in water overnight. I had a nibble of them and just didn't like the taste so I elected to cook them.

I then forgot to add the flour to the brew and looked on in horror as they disintegrated while frying them! :eek:

Two tablespoons of flour mixed in to the rest solved that nicely!

foodaholic

you got a great shape to your falafel much better than mine

Roald Dahl

We had this for dinner.



With some of the chickpeas I made a little bit of hummus and a chickpea 'salad' that we like.

I did the flabreads on my trusty old griddle pan and they turned out very nicely. They worked well as pockets to hold the falafel. I've made flatbreads before, but never with a raising agent. I'll definitely be making them again!



We also made the tabbouleh from Week 23 in 2015 to go along with it.