Falafel bites

When I was little, I used to eat these moreish bites with Indian take-aways or homemade curries, in place of onion bhajis. Now, I like to add them to gluten-free wraps for a nutritious and filling lunch, or I’ll just grab them and eat them on-the-go.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 20g Lucy Bee coconut oil, plus extra for frying
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• Grated zest of ½ lime
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 5 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• Himalayan salt and ground black pepper

Method

1. Blitz together all the ingredients in a food processor, then tip the mixture into a bowl and place in the fridge to firm up, about 30 minutes.

2. Using dessert spoonfuls of mixture, form into flat, round cakes. Place on a baking tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Heat 2–3 tbsp coconut oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and cook the falafels for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

4. Serve with Gluten-free Flatbreads (see page 183), Sun-dried Tomato Hummus (see page 178) and Tabbouleh with Tahini Dressing (see below).

From Coconut Oil: Nature’s Perfect Ingredient. Recipe text © 2015 Lucy Bee Limited.