Ingredients
- For the pitta bread:
- 255g wholemeal flour
- 255g plain flour
- 1tsp salt
- 1tbs sugar
- 2tsp instant yeast
- 315ml warm water
- 2tbs olive oil
- For the falafel:
- 260g dried chickpeas, soaked over night in water
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1tbs chopped parsley
- 1tbs chopped coriander
- 1/2tbs cumin powder
- 1/2tsp ground coriander
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1tsp salt
- 1/2tsp baking powder
- 4tbs plain flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- For the tzaziki:
- 230g Greek yoghurt
- 1 cucumber, grated and squeezed to remove liquid
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1tbs olive oil
- 1tbs white wine vinegar
- 1/2tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 1tbs fresh mint, chopped
- For the pickled cucumber:
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1tsp sugar
- 1tsp salt
- 1tbs white wine vinegar
1. For the pitta: in a mixing bowl, combine the wholemeal flour, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the warm water and olive oil to the bowl, and mix everything together until you have a smooth dough. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes, until it becomes elastic and smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little bit of olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or cling film, and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.
2. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Roll each ball out into a circle, about six inches in diameter, and about ¼-inch thick. Place the rolled dough on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let them rest for 15 minutes. Bake the pitta bread in the preheated oven for six minutes, until they are puffed up and golden brown in colour. Remove the pitta bread from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
3. For the falafel: soak the dried chickpeas in water overnight. Drain and rinse well. In a food processor, pulse the soaked chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and baking powder until you have a coarse mixture. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the flour. The mixture should hold together when squeezed.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Scoop tablespoons of the mixture and shape into small balls. Carefully place the falafel in the hot oil and fry for about three minutes per side until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the falafel from the oil and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.
5. For the tzatziki: in a bowl, combine the yoghurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and black pepper. Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Stir in the chopped fresh mint. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
6. For the pickled cucumbers: mix the sliced cucumbers with the salt, sugar and vinegar and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.
