Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time 8 minutes
425 g (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons gram (besan) or plain flour
vegetable oil for frying
salt and pepper
Garlic and mint sauce
200 ml (7 fl oz) natural or thick Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 garlic clove, crushed
To serve
8 mini pitta breads
6 tablespoons ready-made red pepper or ordinary hummus
Put all the ingredients for the falafel, except the flour and oil, in the bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, then process into a rough paste. Using slightly wet hands, divide the mixture into 8 equal-sized balls, flattening them a little to make burgers. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Mix together the yogurt, mint and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside until needed.
Coat the chilled falafel burgers lightly with the gram or plain flour. Pour just enough oil for shallow-frying into a heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add the falafel burgers and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp.
Toast the pitta breads under a preheated hot grill until warmed through but still soft. Spread each one with some hummus and top with the salad and a burger. Sprinkle with a little paprika, and serve immediately with the garlic mint sauce for spooning over the top.