So a friend in work mentioned she has za’atar on sweet potatoes so I thought I would get some to try. The flavour’s were really yummy and consist of sumac, sesame seeds, salt, dried thyme, oregano and majoram. I thought it would work perfectly in falafels and it did. This is a healthy, tasty and low in fat lunch or dinner.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (240g)
• 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp za’atar
• 1/4 tsp natural sea salt
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the tahini dip

• 4 tbsp tahini
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• splash of water
• natural sea salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine the chickpeas, red onion, garlic, cilantro and parsley in a food processor. Process until broken down but still a little chunky.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients (through baking soda). Mix well.
3. Form the falafel mixture into patties. I like doing small, thick patties – it makes it easier to flip them and they hold together better. Plus, you get a generous bite!
4. Place the patties on a plate, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I left mine overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan. Place the falafel patties on a baking tray.
6. Bake  for 20 minutes, then flip carefully. If any of the patties fall apart a little, you can carefully use the spatula and your hand to smush them back together. They firm up by the time they are finished baking.
7. Bake another 10-15 minutes, until well browned and firm.
8. In the meantime, make the tahini sauce. Mix the tahini, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water and a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of water, if needed, to get it to a drizzling consistency. (It will depend on the thickness of your tahini.)
9. Once they are finished cooking and nicely browned, remove the falafel patties and let cool for a couple minutes on the pan.
10. Serve on flat breads with salad, topped with the falafels and the tahini sauce. Enjoy!