Falafel and green tahini

The addition of more herbs in this version gives it a vibrant green colour, as well as a grassier flavour and fragrance that works well with many dishes. The Chefs' Line

Falafel, Hummus, tomato, cucumber, pickled chili, labne and olives. Credit: The Chefs' Line

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  2:30 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

My green tahini is a take on the classic tahini which is whiter in colour and is used as a dressing, dip or a complement to hummus.

Ingredients

Hummus

• 150 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (see note)
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 400 g raw tahini
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch ground cumin
• 100 ml lemon juice

Green tahini

• 2 cups coarsely chopped parsley or coriander leaves
• 125 ml (½ cup) lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 90 g (⅓ cup) tahini
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

Falafel

• 200 g (1 cup) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 100 g (½ cup) dried split broad beans, soaked overnight
• 1 large handful coriander, leaves picked 
• 2 large handfuls flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked 
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 long red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• Rice bran oil, for deep-frying

Soaking time: overnight

Instructions

For the hummus, drain the chickpeas and rinse well.  Transfer to a large saucepan, cover with at least double the quantity of water and bring to the boil.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 hours, topping up the water as necessary. After 2 hours, if the chickpeas are soft enough, add the baking powder (if not, continue cooking until they soften up). Cook for another hour or until the chickpeas start to break down but are not mushy.

Put the garlic in a food processor (don’t use a stick blender) with 200 ml water and blend to a very smooth consistency.  Strain through a sieve into a bowl and keep the liquid. Discard the pureed garlic.

Drain the chickpeas. Transfer to a food processor and blend for about 7-10 minutes or until a smooth paste forms.   Add the tahini, reserved garlic water, salt and cumin and blend well, scraping down the sides occasionally and adding more water if necessary.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Gently whisk in the lemon juice (you do not want to over-aerate the hummus and lose the dense consistency). Refrigerate until needed.

Meanwhile, for the green tahini, in a food processor, blend the parsley with 100 ml water until you have a smooth green paste but be careful not to over blend. Add the lemon juice, garlic and tahini and blend until smooth. Stir through the sea salt flakes.  

For the falafel, drain the chickpeas and broad beans and place in a food processor with the coriander, parsley, onion, chilli and garlic. Process until grainy but not a smooth purée. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the baking powder, cumin and sesame seeds and combine well. Using a falafel spoon or 2 tablespoons, quenelle the mixture or roll it by hand into 20 patties.

Pour enough rice bran oil for deep-frying into a large deep saucepan and heat to 170°C. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop in a cube of bread and if it turns golden brown in 20 seconds you are good to start cooking. (If the oil is not hot enough, the falafel will break up.)

Working in batches, drop the falafel into the oil and deep-fry for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove the falafel with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve with the green tahini and hummus.

Note

• To the chickpeas and broad beans, cover in at least 4 times the amount of water and stand overnight, changing the water twice during soaking.

This recipe is from Series 2 of The Chefs' Line airing weeknights at 6pm on SBS. Episodes will be available after broadcast via SBS On Demand. Join the conversation #TheChefsLine on Instagram @sbsfood, Facebook @SBSFood  and Twitter @SBS_Food. Check out sbs.com.au/thechefsline for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more! 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

My green tahini is a take on the classic tahini which is whiter in colour and is used as a dressing, dip or a complement to hummus.