MUMS' DAY: VEGAN FELAFEL PLATTER, prep ahead, easy

A vegan platter perfect for Mothers' Day; much is prepped in advance...

Felafel Platter with Tomato-Mushroom Salsa and 15-minute Flatbread
made at home easily, quickly and much of it in advance

If you've ever had felafels at corner food stalls in the Middle East, you'll understand why the crispy little veggie balls are so popular.  Composed of protein-rich chick peas and vitamin-filled broad beans, they're crunchy on the outside, gorgeously mealy within, and layered with wonderful flavours.  

They're easy to put together and taste much better than supermarket produced.  Even better, they can be made-ahead and eaten hot or cold.  They're also wallet-friendly and appeal to all ages.      

Most felafels use yoghurt to bind ingredients but 67 experimented with silken tofu to jazz them up a bit and provide extra protein.  The tofu worked a treat; extra lemon juice added 'tang' and a bit of brightness.  A touch of heat - flaked chillis or tobasco sauce - also enlivened the mix.

Felafels are normally stuffed into hot pitta pockets; these will be fine served that way but they'll also be sensational accompanied by hot 15-minute flatbreads. 

A lively tomato-mushroom-grapefruit salsa adds piquancy and yoghurt-mayonnaise  a cooling creaminess.   

To drink, a fabulous non-alcohol white sangria.  

Cost: £5'ish (6/24); more if using fresh broadbeans & herbs 
Feeds: 6-8 (recipe halves nicely) 

Ingred:

     200 gm (7 oz) defrosted drained broad beans (skins left on is fine but the mix is so much better if they are removed - see YouTube)
     200 gm (7 oz) drained chickpeas
     3 cloves garlic, crushed or grated
     2 tbsp each  fresh parsley, dill and mint (or 2 tsp each of dried)
    (opt) 1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
    1 1/2 tsp baking powder mixed with 3 tbsp warm water
    pepper and salt
    2 tbsp sesame seeds

    150 gm/5.25 oz silken tofu (or 0-fat thick yoghurt)
    2 tsp tahini 
    grated zest of 1 lemon
    2 tbsp lemon juice
    2 tbsp tomato puree (opt)
    1/4c/ 40 gm/1.2 oz chickpea (besan) or wholemeal flour, or fine breadcrumb

    crispy lettuce (iceberg or cos) shredded
    cucumber, thinly sliced

   tomato-mushroom-grapefruit salsa
   yoghurt-mayonnaise 

Method:

1. Process first 8 ingred into a paste, using a stick or bowl blender (if using tinned chickpeas & defrosted broad beans, the paste should be coarsely processed; if fresh, process a little more)
2. In a separate bowl, blend tofu, tahihi, lemon juice and tomato puree if using, until smooth & creamy.  Add to chickpea mix; stir  
3. Add 1/4 cup/ 40 gm/1.2 oz chickpea flour. 
4. Mix well with hands, the paddle of a tabletop mixer, or an electric beater on slow speed; taste, season with pepper & salt.
5. Chill for an hour or overnight
6. When ready to cook (10-20 mins before serving), heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat; cover with a thin layer of olive oil OR prepare air fryer 
7. Form mix into golf-ball sized balls; if too floppy, add a little more chickpea flour; flatten balls to a nice thickness.   
8. Fry: over med-high heat until crisp and golden - about 2-3 mins each side (don't crowd the pan) Air-fry: spray both sides of the felafel generously with oil; air-fry 2-3 mins at 180C/350F until crisp & golden
9. Rest on a paper towel to sorb excess fat; move to a rack on a tray
10. If serving immediately, keep warm in a low oven (Preheat oven to 110C, then lower heat to 70c) for no longer than 10-15 mins.  If turning into a salad platter, cool completely and wrap carefully in layers of greaseproof paper 
11. Arrange on a platter with flat or pitta bread, salad, salsa and dressing

   
Tips:

• If time and budget permit, reconstituted dried chickpeas, fresh broad beans and fresh herbs take this to another level.  But no less delicious are the more frugal tinned chickpeas, frozen broadbeans and dried herbs. 
• Tofu can be replaced with non-dairy yoghurt or, for vegetarians, conventional yoghurt.  
• leftover felafels don't freeze well; leftovers can be chopped into bite-size pieces, stir-fried with brown rice and peas and served with veggie mushroom gravy
• If there are no health issues the felafel patties can be deep-fried until golden brown

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This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.