Falafel is a traditional middle-eastern food made from chickpeas and various spices that are rolled into balls which are then deep-fried. They are very high in protein and there are claims that falafel was originally used as a meat substitute in some Middle Eastern cultures during the period of Lent. Indeed falafel is a good source of nutrition for vegetarians, and this particular recipe is that it is vegan-friendly too because it contains no egg either, nor any breadcrumbs, only tasty falafel.

Making falafel has never been easier thanks to this video recipe by Marian from Allrecipes. Serve with a salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber with tzatziki (a traditional Greek yogurt, cucumber and garlic dip) and pita bread for a really authentic dish.

Makes: 30 servings

• 450g dry chickpeas (gabanzo beans)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 potato, peeled and quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups canola oil