Falafel with Zahtar, Houmous and Cous Cous Salad

• The zahtar lends this dish an authentic Middle-Eastern taste.
• With home-made peanut butter houmous and cous cous.
• The peanut butter can be substituted for any other nut butter, or tahini.
• Uses the Granose quick falafel mix.

Falafel Mix 120g (Granose)

An easy-to-use falafel mix. Use both sachets of the packet, to make 12 falafels.

Zaatar Middle Eastern Seasoning 50g

Use just under one teaspoonful of zahtar in the falafel.

Smooth Peanut Butter 280g (Meridian)

3 generous tablespoons are used in the houmous. This is a peanut-butter houmous, but you can use any nut butter.

Organic Chickpeas (1kg) - Sussex WholeFoods

200g chickpeas are used as the basis for the houmous.

TRS Cumin (Jeera) Powder 100g

A teaspoonful of ground cumin is used in the houmous.

Lemon Juice 250ml (Sunita)

2 tablespoons will help to keep the houmous mixture fresh and workable.

Unsalted Roasted Peanuts (1kg) - Sussex WholeFoods

For the houmous. Use a small handful, chopped up to mix into the houmous at the end.

Cous Cous

A cupful of cous cous. Cooks in 10 minutes.

Artichoke Hearts in Brine, Organic (Biona)

A few artichokes are cut into pieces and added to the cous cous.

Fire Roasted Red Peppers, Organic (Infinity Foods)

2 or 3 peppers are chopped and added to the cous cous salad.

Hampshire Foods Mixed Herbs 50g

A sprinkling of mixed herbs goes into the cous cous salad.

TRS Coarse Black Pepper 100g

The cous cous salad is finished with a pinch of cracked black pepper.

Other Ingredients

• 1 small garlic clove.
• 2-3 tablespoons of greek yoghurt.

Method

1. Open both sachets of the falafel mix.
2. Mix in a bowl with 150ml of water
3. Add the zahtar (just under a teaspoonful).
4. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
5. Give the mixture a final stir.
6. Wet your hands and form the mixture into falafels.
7. Fry in a pan for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pour into a blender or food processor. Then add the garlic clove, a little of the rapeseed oil, peanut butter, lemon juice, salt and cumin. Whizz up into a rough paste.
9. Add the yoghurt and whizz again. If the mixture is still too thick and/or dry add extra yoghurt and oil in small amounts until you have a more free-flowing puree.
10. Taste the mixture and season further with salt or lemon juice as required.
11. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.
12. Pour a cupful of cous cous into a bowl.
13. Pour boiling water over the cous cous. Enough to cover the cous cous by 1cm.
14. Cover with a lid and leave for 15 minutes.
15. Chop the cucumber, artichoke, tomatoes and peppers into a bowl.
16. Add the cous cous.
17. Add mixed herbs and cracked black pepper.
18. Mix all ingredients.