Spiced pea falafel with pitta bread and hummus

This is an entirely different sort of Sunday lunch. It’s brilliant fun to have on the table; hands on, and a little bit messy. There are a number of component parts but you can easily substitute shop-bought alternatives (the hummus, pitta and pickles could come ready-made if you prefer). That said, a Sunday morning spent putting this together may be right up your street – it’s certainly up mine.

SERVES 6

FOR THE FALAFEL

200g frozen peas, defrosted 1 x 400g tin chickpeas

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

2 cloves garlic

1tbsp tahini

2tbsp plain flour

1tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

15g parsley leaves, chopped 15g mint leaves, chopped 1tbsp sesame seeds 1L vegetable oil

FOR THE PITTA

180g plain flour

180g strong bread flour 7g easy-action yeast Generous pinch of salt

250ml lukewarm water

FOR THE HUMMUS

1 x 400g tin chickpeas

3tbsp tahini

1 clove garlic

Juice of 2 lemons

FOR THE COURGETTE PICKLE

See Cook’s Note for method 2 large courgettes

1tbsp rock salt

500ml cider vinegar

100g caster sugar

1tbsp cumin seeds

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tsp chilli flakes

2 banana shallots, sliced TO SERVE

Fresh coriander

Yogurt

Cherry tomatoes

Pickled red onions (see Cook’s Note)

1 To make the falafel, blitz together the peas, chickpeas, spices, garlic, tahini, flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Keep an eye on it; you want some texture to remain, so use the pulse function rather than letting the processor run.

2 Transfer the mix into a bowl, add the chopped herbs and sesame seeds. Form into 18 balls, making sure you press them together really well (they’ll come apart in the oil if you don’t). Set aside in the fridge for at least an hour while you make the pitta.

3 To make the pitta bread, put the flours in a bowl, add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other. Add the water and mix together by hand. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and bounces back when prodded. Place in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to double in size (about an hour).

4 For super-smooth hummus, first peel the chickpeas, then blitz them with the tahini and garlic. Add the lemon juice and then some cold water to achieve a spreadable consistency. Taste, season and set aside.

5 Once the pitta bread dough has risen, divide into 9 even pieces and shape into balls. Flour your surface, place the balls onto it and cover with the tea towel again. Allow them to double in size (around 45min). Once ready, the dough will bounce back when prodded.

6 Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas mark 9. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each pitta into a circle, about 5mm thick. Place on the baking sheets and bake for 7-9min, until golden and puffed up. Remove from the tray and wrap in foil – this will keep the pittas warm, but also soften them, making them easier to eat.

7 While the pittas are in the oven, fry the falafel. Pour the oil into a high-sided saucepan and place over a moderate heat. When the oil is at 180°C (test with a thermometer or the handle of a wooden spoon – a steady stream of bubbles will form around the handle when it’s hot enough), carefully drop in the falafel and fry until crisp and golden brown. Scoop them out and drain on a paper towel.

8 Serve the falafel and hummus with coriander leaves, yogurt and cherry tomatoes, as well as the pickles. See Cook’s Note. Put everything in the middle of the table and allow people to stuff their own pitta.