Spicy Falafel in Tortilla Wraps
Fried Chickpea Balls on Lettuce Topped with Cheese and Hot Salsa
Sep 1, 2009
The humble chickpea is one of the oldest cultivated foods in the world having been around for over 7000 years. It’s a popular ingredient in the Middle East cuisine and also features heavily in southern European cuisine. Chickpeas should be a welcome ingredient in all kitchens as they’re high in protein, cheap and can be used in any number of ways to create delicious and filling meals.
They’re also a very useful ingredient to have around when trying to conjure up a dish which will keep both meat eating and vegetarian friends happy. On such an occasion something like falafel is a perfect choice as it tends to be one of those crossover dishes which just about everyone enjoys eating.
These tasty fried spicy balls are commonly served as street food in the Middle East where they’re dished up with lettuce and salad and wrapped in pitta, or flatbreads. The falafel wraps in this recipe are a variation on these delectable hand held savoury packages and are sure to be a hit with everyone.
Ingredients for Falafel in Tortilla Wraps
- 400g jar of cooked chickpeas
- Tortilla Wraps (2 per person)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
- ½ small green pepper, diced
- 12 button mushrooms, sliced
- 6 oz grated cheese (cheddar, or any other tasty cheese)
- A small lettuce, shredded
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Plain flour
- ½ lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Hot salsa
For 4 people
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Preparation of Falafel
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a potato masher till smooth.
- Add crushed garlic, a quarter of the chopped onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, pepper and mix thoroughly.
- Add the beaten egg a little at a time and stir until the falafel mixture is moist, but not wet.
- Dust hands with flour and, using a dessert spoon, scoop out some of the falafel mixture and roll into small balls (a 400g jar should make 24 balls).
- Chill the falafel balls for 10 minutes.
- Whilst the Falafel is being chilled, put the shredded lettuce into a bowl and arrange the rest of the chopped onion, diced tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, grated cheese and lemon wedge on a plate.
- After the falafel balls have been chilled for 10 minutes roll them in flour (this stops them spitting when they are being fried) and gently fry them in the olive oil for 10 minutes, turning them regularly until golden.
- Remove, pat dry on kitchen roll and serve with the tortillas and salad.
How to Eat Falafel in Tortilla Wraps
This is the fun part. Serve 6 falafel balls per person (3 per tortilla). Place some of the shredded lettuce on a tortilla and 3 falafel balls with diced tomato and peppers, sliced mushrooms and chopped onion depending on personal preferences. Squeeze some lemon juice over the falafel and then some hot salsa. Top with the grated cheese, roll up the tortilla and tuck in. Be careful not to overfill the tortilla as a falafel and salad explosion could be the end result – embarrassing, but amusing for others present.
Cook’s Tip: When frying the falafel, use a couple of dessert spoons to turn them. They allow more manoeuvrability ensuring the balls turn an attractive golden colour all over.
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