Ka'ak Al-Quds

Ka’ak Al-Quds

Makes 12-16 pieces

Ingredients

• 500 ml water
• 150 ml milk
• 150 ml Greek yogurt
• 14 g instant yeast
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 kg plain flour
• 1 egg, for brushing
• 150-200 g sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Warm the water and milk in a saucepan over low heat. It should be slightly warmer than body temperature so that it can have an effect on the yeast. Make sure you don’t overheat the liquid so it doesn’t kill the growth in the yeast.
2. Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl or the mixer and add the yogurt and warm liquid gradually. Combine to make a dough. When the dough is ready, it should have a slight bounce when you touch it. Put in a well-oiled bowl and cover. Leave to rise about 2 hours in a warm place.
3. Knock back the air from the risen dough and cut into 12-16 equal pieces. Roll out into the desired shape and place them on lightly floured baking trays. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Leave to rise about 20 minutes.
4. Place in a preheated oven, at the highest temperature, about 220 C fan or 240 C gas. Bake about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.

 

Falafel

Makes 24-30 pieces

Ingredients

• 400 g dried chickpeas
• 2 heaped tsp baking powder
• A bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• A bunch of fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• ½ onion
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 900 ml sunflower or vegetable oil (for frying)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• Olive oil for binding (if needed)

Filling

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sumac
• Toasted pine nuts to taste
• 2 tsp sea salt

Tarator sauce

• 8 tbsp tahini paste
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 1 tbsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Soak the chickpeas in water and half of the baking powder for up to 8 hours. This is best done overnight. Make sure you use dried chickpeas, as canned chickpeas will turn into a paste and will break when frying.
2. When ready, drain the water and place the chickpeas in a food processor or use a hand blender. Add the remaining baking powder and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil. Blitz until you have formed a paste. You may need to add some olive oil to bind it.
3. Shape your falafel into balls and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Make sure to press the sesame seeds into the balls so they stick.
4. Carefully place the falafel into the hot oil. Make sure you do not overcrowd the pan. Turn the falafel occasionally as they cook so they are equally browned all over. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until fully cooked through.
5. If you want to make stuffed falafel, sauté the onions in the olive oil. Once softened, add the rest of the ingredients. Set aside to cool. When forming the balls, they need to be bigger to accommodate the filling. Use half of the mixture, flatten, making sure to make an indentation for the filling. Add the filling then top with the rest of the mixture.
6. For the Tarator sauce, mix all of the ingredients together. You can add a little bit of water to loosen it to the consistency you prefer.