Hummus with Falafel
Whipped chickpea and tahini hummus with a pool of olive oil, beside crisp herb-packed falafel — the backbone of a Levantine mezze table.
Origin & history
Hummus bi tahini and falafel are shared across Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Israel, with contested origins and many regional styles. Both rely on chickpeas and sesame, crops farmed in the eastern Mediterranean for millennia. The version here follows the Beirut style: heavily whipped hummus with ice water, and falafel made from soaked raw chickpeas, never tinned.
Ingredients
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Hummus
Falafel
To serve
The method
Step by step
- 01
Soak the chickpeas
5 minSoak the dried chickpeas for 24 hours in plenty of cold water. Drain thoroughly and pat dry — wet chickpeas will spit in the fryer.
Never use tinned chickpeas for falafel; the mixture will fall apart.
- 02
Blitz the hummus
5 minBlend the cooked chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic and salt for 3 minutes, adding ice water a spoon at a time until very smooth and pale.
- 03
Build the falafel mix
5 minPulse the soaked chickpeas with onion, herbs, cumin, salt and baking powder in a food processor until it looks like coarse couscous. Do not purée.
- 04
Shape and chill
22 minForm into 20 small balls or patties and refrigerate for 20 minutes so they hold together.
- 05
Fry
12 minHeat oil to 175°C and fry the falafel in batches for 3–4 minutes until deep brown and crisp. Drain on paper.
- 06
Plate the mezze
4 minSpoon the hummus into a shallow bowl, sweep a well in the centre and fill with olive oil. Scatter paprika and serve with warm pita and falafel.
Chef tips
- — Ice water makes hummus fluffier and whiter.
- — Rest the falafel mix so the flour-less mixture hydrates evenly.
Common mistakes
- — Over-blending falafel mix into a paste.
- — Frying oil too cool, which makes the falafel absorb oil.
Substitutions
- Dried chickpeas → Canned chickpeas for hummus onlyFalafel requires dried.
- Tahini → Sunflower seed butterAdds a different flavour.
Storage & serving
Hummus keeps 3 days refrigerated with a film of oil. Falafel are best within an hour; reheat at 190°C for 5 minutes.
Serve with pickled turnip, tomato-cucumber salad and flatbread.
Food safety
Fry until the centre is piping hot. Oil at 175°C cooks the middle without burning the crust.
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