Tomato and cucumber salad with falafel balls

Ingredients:

Falafel

• 2 and 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas
• 3 green onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 egg
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup flour + 1/4 cup for work
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Lettuce, for serving
• Sliced ​​salted tomatoes, for serving
• Grated cucumber, for serving

Yogurt sauce with white beans

• 3/4 cup cooked white beans
• 1 small clove of garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup plain natural yogurt
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a mini food processor, blend the white beans, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with falafel or as a salad dressing.
2. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, green onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, parsley, cilantro, egg, and lemon juice. Puree and season with salt. The mixture won't be smooth, but there shouldn't be any large chunks.
3. Add baking powder and 1/3 cup flour to the mixture and whisk until combined. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the chickpea mixture from the refrigerator. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to a depth of 1 cm and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 180°C (350°F).
5. Meanwhile, spoon the chickpea mixture onto a plate with 1/4 cup flour. Roll the falafel balls onto the floured plate and carefully form them into patties. Fry in batches in hot oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side and transfer the falafel to paper towels to drain any excess oil.
6. Serve falafel on a bed of lettuce with finely chopped pickled tomatoes, grated cucumber and white bean yogurt sauce.