Falafel with Yoghurt, Aubergine & Red Cabbage Salad
This simple falafel recipe uses night-before preparation for an easy midweek work lunch. The yoghurt, aubergine and red cabbage salad match the falafel perfectly.
Introduction
The best falafels we have tasted so far are from L'As du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers in Paris. This recipe is a homage to them. This dish is all in the careful packing, and assembly at work. You can make everything the night before, but be sure to keep the dressing in the fridge.
Ingredients
| 1 | aubergine |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 6 | ready-made falafels |
| 1/8 | red cabbage |
| 3cm piece | of cucumber |
| 1/4 | red onion |
| 4-5 | cherry tomatoes |
| 1 | pitta or flatbread |
| salt and freshly ground pepper | |
| For the yoghurt dressing: | |
| 4 tbsp | natural yoghurt |
| 1/2 | lime, juice |
| salt and freshly ground pepper | |
| 1 tbsp | any chopped fresh green herb |
Method
The night before: Preheat the oven to 190c/gas 5. Chop your aubergine up into 3cm chunks and lay on a roasting tray. Drizzle over the olive oil and the salt and pepper and roast for 35 minutes or until golden and squishy. Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the falafels to the oven dish. When the time is up, leave to cool on the counter under some tin foil.
In the morning: Grate the cabbage into ribbons, the finer the better. Cut or grate the cucumber into small pieces. Finely chop the onion. Add to your designated container along with the cherry tomatoes, cooled falafel and aubergines.
To prepare the dressing, simply mix all of the ingredients together in a small jam jar or Tupperware. Lightly toast your pitta or flatbread and pack separately, in foil or a brown paper bag. Keeping this dish at room temperature for a few hours until lunchtime is fine.
Come lunchtime: Open the pitta, or lay out the flatbread. Give your ingredients a good stir before spooning over your pitta or flatbread. Drizzle over the yoghurt dressing along with some chilli sauce if you keep any in the office.
