Mary Berry’s Falafel with Pickled Red Cabbage and Whipped Feta
This easy veggie recipe is perfect for a midweek lunch or dinner as it can be prepared in advance. The falafel patties are packed with flavour. Paired with the pickled cabbage and the whipped feta, this recipe makes for an incredibly delicious meal.
Introduction
These are a coarse falafel with a little spice and lots of herbs. The pickled cabbage is so healthy and improves with age. Whipping the feta gives a lovely light spread to go with the patties.
Ingredients
| 2–3 tbsp | olive oil |
| 2 large | banana shallots, finely chopped |
| 2 | garlic cloves, finely grated |
| 1 tbsp | ground coriander |
| 2 tsp | ground cumin |
| finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon | |
| Small bunch of | parsley, leaves roughly chopped |
| Small bunch of | coriander, leaves roughly chopped |
| 4 tbsp | plain flour |
| 1 | egg, beaten |
| 2 x 400g tins | chickpeas, drained and rinsed |
| 2 | Little Gem lettuces, shredded |
| For the pickled cabbage: | |
|---|---|
| 25g (1oz) | caster sugar |
| 4 tbsp | white wine vinegar |
| 225g (8oz) | red cabbage, finely shredded |
| ½ | red onion, finely sliced |
| For the whipped feta: | |
| 250g (9oz) | feta cheese |
| 6 tbsp | Greek yoghurt |
Method
First make the pickled cabbage. Add the vinegar and sugar to a small saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup into a bowl and add the cabbage and sliced onion. Toss to coat in the syrup and season to taste with salt. Cover and leave for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the shallots and fry for a few minutes, until soft and tinged brown. Add the garlic and spices and fry for 10 seconds. Leave to cool.
Tip the cooled onion mixture into a large bowl and stir in the lemon zest and juice, the fresh herbs, flour and beaten egg.
Meanwhile, tip the drained chickpeas into a food processor and whiz until finely chopped (but still with texture). Add the chickpeas to the bowl with the herb mixture and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything together, using your hands, and squeeze the mixture to come together. Shape into 12 oval or round patties. Leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
To make the whipped feta, add the ingredients to a food processor and blend for 30 seconds.
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the falafels for 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. You may need to do this in batches.
Divide the lettuce between six plates and top with 2 falafels, a pile of cabbage and a quenelle of whipped feta cheese (use two dessert spoons to make the quenelles or oval shapes). Otherwise, place everything on a sharing platter.
Mary`s Tip: Falafels can be made up to a day ahead. Pickle can be made up to 2 days ahead. Freeze well uncooked.
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