Name: Carrot falafel with tahini yogurt dipping sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 30
Ingredients: 14 oz (400g) chickeas (from 2 tins, drained and rinsed); 7 oz (200g) grated carrots (about 2 medium); 1 small onion (roughly chopped); 2 garlic cloves (roughly chopped); 1 large egg; juice and zest of 1/2 lemon; a few drops Tabasco; 2 oz (60g) all-purpose flour ((= plain flour)); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp baking powder; 1 tbsp coriander (cilantro leaves); 5 cups (300g) panco breadcrumbs (divided); sunflower oil to fry; 7 oz (200g) Greek yogurt; 2 tbsp tahini; 2 tbsp olive oil; juice of 1/2 lemon; 1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro leaves); 1 garlic clove (minced); ½ tsp salt or to taste

The insanely hot weather lasted a week in London – probably the longest week in a long time. I sat around fanning myself and swooning like a Victorian lady unable to do much other than sip gallons of iced tea. I am exaggerating of course, but only slightly!

I did drink lots of iced tea, but I also managed to create a couple of new recipes, like these delicious carrot falafel with tahini yogurt dipping sauce. They are perfect for summer as you can serve them as a shared plate or pair them with a crisp green salad for a light vegetarian lunch.

I even got it into my head to make a video for the falafel to put my newly acquired video editing knowledge to the test – I did a two day Premiere Pro course at the beginning of the month. Let’s just say I still need a lot of practice… but I have a few videos in the pipeline so hopefully both the filming and editing will become less intimidating!
Make these carrot falafel with tahini yogurt dipping sauce to serve as a shared plate or for a vegetarian lunch. Delicious and so easy!

As you will see from the video, the falafel only need a couple of minutes frying. It really is super easy and even easier if you are using a fryer. The only tricky bit with frying is letting the oil reach the right temperature before doing anything else.

A jam or digital thermometer is the best way to judge when the oil reaches the optimum temperature. If you have leftover falafel, this recipe does make a big batch, you can reheat them in the oven, spread out on a tray, for about 10 minutes at 180C / 350F.