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Jack Monroe made a name for herself as a food blogger who writes recipes for people on a tight budget. Today she Cooks The Perfect...Chickpea, Carrot & Coriander Falafels

This recipe uses tinned chickpeas, as dried take a long time to cook. I like to serve the falafels accompanied by cous cous made up with vegetable or chicken stock, lemon juice and coriander, and with green beans or another vegetable.

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Ingredients

Makes 12-ish falafels (4-6 per person)

1 onion

1 carrot

1–3 tablespoons oil, plus extra to fry the falafel

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas

a handful of chopped parsley

a handful of chopped coriander

a generous shake of ground cumin

1 tablespoon flour, plus extra to shape the falafel

Preparation Method

Peel and finely chop the onion and wash and grate the carrot. (I grate the onion too so it’s finer, but it’s a pain to do!) Put in a frying pan and fry together in 1 tablespoon of the oil over a low heat for a few minutes until softened.

Tip the cooked onion and carrot into a large mixing bowl along with the chickpeas, and add the chopped parsley, coriander and cumin. Stir in the flour.

Mash it all together with a potato masher or fork until the chickpeas have broken down into a mush. The oil from the carrots and onion will help combine the chickpeas together, but you may need to add up to 2 tablespoons more.

Flour your hands and mould the mixture into about 12 golf ball shapes. Heat a little more oil in the sauté pan and fry the balls until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside.

Tip:

Instead of making falafels, shape half the mixture into 2 burger patties instead and fry on each side. Delicious with mango chutney or ketchup.