Falafel is generally made from chickpeas. Apparently, you can also prepare it with spiced broad beans. However, I prefer new broad beans, freshly cooked, which is why I make falafel with chickpeas. Today I would like to share with you a swift and light version of traditional falafel: the chickpeas may be cooked or from a tin and the falafel balls are roasted in the oven rather than fried. My children asked me to brown the falafel balls, so I fried them for exactly one minute before serving. I served them in pitta breads with sweet and sour salad and with cucumber and pepper and a mustard sauce. Fortunately, I made a double portion of the salad, because I ate half of it before the supper was ready.

Ingredients:
falafel (18 pieces)
1 tin of chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
half a teaspoon of cumin
half a teaspoon of sweet paprika powder
half a teaspoon of curry powder
salt and pepper
breadcrumbs
salad
1 cucumber
1 red pepper
1 red onion
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
sauce:
3 tablespoons of French mustard
1 tablespoon of mustard
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
salt
additionally
lettuce
pitta breads

Heat the oven up to 180C. Cover a baking sheet with some baking paper.
Blend the chickpeas or grind them. Add the crushed garlic, seasoning and chopped parsley. Mix them together to make a smooth mixture. Form small falafel balls, cover them in breadcrumbs and put them onto the baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes.
Slice the cucumber, pepper and onion. Mix the lemon juice with the maple syrup and add it to the vegetables. Leave for 10 minutes.
Stir all the ingredients of the sauce thoroughly. Wash the lettuce leaves and cut them into smaller pieces. Heat the pitta breads in the microwave or in the oven.
If necessary, fry the falafel balls for a while just before serving the meal.
Put some sauce into the pitta breads. Put the lettuce, some salad and falafel balls into them. Sprinkle with the mustard sauce.
Serve at once.

Enjoy your meal!

Try also:
New approach to chili con carne
Home-made hot-dogs
"Hambukses" - my children's new favourite meal