Falafel Pitta with Tahini and Lemon Sauce

• 250 g Dried chickpeas
• 1 small Yellow onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 ½ tsp Ground cumin
• 1 ½ tsp Ground coriander
• 15 g Fresh parsley
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 25 g Plain flour
• 90 ml Vegetable oil
• 60 g Tahini
• 1 medium Lemon
• 60 ml Water
• 2 medium Tomato, ripe
• ½ medium Cucumber
• 2 pieces Pita bread

1. Put the dried chickpeas in a bowl, cover generously with cold water, and leave to soak for 12 hours. Drain very well, then pat dry so the mixture does not turn pasty.
2. Roughly chop the onion, peel the garlic, and pick the parsley leaves. Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, parsley, salt, pepper and bicarbonate of soda to a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse, damp crumb that holds together when squeezed.
3. Tip the mixture into a bowl and stir in the plain flour. Cover and rest for 10 minutes so it firms up, then shape into 12 small balls and gently flatten them slightly.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Pan-fry the falafel in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp, adjusting the heat so they do not brown too quickly.
5. Make the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk the tahini with the juice of the lemon, then whisk in the water a little at a time until smooth and pourable. Season with a pinch more salt if you like.
6. Dice the tomato and cucumber, and roughly chop any remaining parsley. Warm the pita bread briefly, split open, and fill with the salad and hot falafel, then drizzle generously with the tahini lemon sauce to serve.

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