Israel

The land of milk and honey has a fabulous climate yielding culinary treasures such as figs, pomegranates, oranges, lemons and grapefruits, and influences include Jewish and North African. Fresh fish, caught in the Mediterranean or the Red Sea, chicken and grilled meat are all staples.

FALAFEL

Makes 18, serves 4 – 6

8 oz (225g) dried chickpeas 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 tsp salt 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp dried chilli flakes ½ tsp black pepper Vegetable oil

HUMMUS

Serves 4 – 6

14 oz (400g) tinned chickpeas, drained 2 tbsp tahini paste 4 garlic cloves 1 tsp salt 1 lemon, juiced 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

TO GARNISH: Paprika Falafel are the ultimate Israeli street food, served stuffed into warm pita bread with a range of delicious toppings including hummus, tahini, salad and pickles. This dish works best with dried chickpeas.

1 Cover the dried chickpeas in cold water and allow to soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

2 Drain the chickpeas and blend to a coarse paste with the rest of the ingredients (reserve a little parsley for a garnish). Cover and refrigerate until needed.

3 Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Meanwhile, with wet hands, form the mixture into balls, using about 2 tablespoons for each ball. Once the oil is shimmering hot, fry the balls until golden brown, then drain on paper towels before serving.

The perfect accompaniment to falafel, hummus should be creamy and garlicky. If using dried chickpeas, make sure they are overcooked, very soft and cooled.

1 Place all the ingredients in a food processor, then pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

2 Taste and adjust seasoning.

3 Serve in a shallow dish, garnish with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika.