Vegan Falafel Platter with Flatbread and Homemade Hummus

Name: Vegan Falafel Platter with Air Fryer Flatbread and Homemade Hummus
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients: For the flatbread:; 1 (gluten-free) flatbread mix (e.g., from Bauck Mühle); 1 packet active dry yeast; 400 ml (1.66 cups) lukewarm water; sesame seeds; nigella seeds; For the falafel:; 1 falafel mix (e.g., from Bauck Mühle); 250 ml (1 cup) hot water; For the sumac onions:; 2 red or white onions; 1 tbsp sumac; lemon juice; salt; For the harissa chickpeas:; 400 g (14 oz) canned chickpeas; harissa (paste or powder); lemon juice; olive oil; salt; For the hummus:; 400 g (14 oz) canned chickpeas; 50 g (1.75 oz) tahini; 1 garlic clove; 0.5 tsp ground cumin; lemon juice; ice cubes; salt; For the zhough:; 2 serrano chili peppers

A recipe by Julia Justus | Photos by Julia Justus

I've lived in Berlin for a few years now, and ever since I moved here, falafel has become a culinary constant in my life. New spots get visited, rated, and recommended over and over again. But I make falafel at home far too rarely – which is where a certain someone comes into play, who's been keeping me company in my kitchen even before I moved to Berlin (and probably not just me, but some of you too): Yotam Ottolenghi.

Who Even Is Ottolenghi?
In case the name doesn't ring a bell: Ottolenghi was born in Jerusalem, moved to London in the late nineties, and opened a small deli there together with his business partner, Sami Tamimi. These days, he runs several restaurants, but he became famous mainly through his cookbooks – first and foremost "Jerusalem," which he published together with Tamimi. That book basically turned him into a synonym for Levantine cuisine.

I'd go so far as to claim that EVERYONE owns an Ottolenghi cookbook, but of course, I know I'm exaggerating. Still, pretty much everyone does! And from and with him, I also learned to cook several of today's components, which is why today's recipes are largely based on his. Over time, I've tweaked some things slightly to my own taste or simplified them here and there. But let's take a closer look at the individual components of today's platter.

From Falafel and Flatbread to Hummus and Sumac

Falafel and Flatbread: Since you'll soon see how many sides I made from scratch today, I let myself off the hook a little with the falafel and flatbread – I used the ready-made mixes from Bauck Mühle for both. Their falafel mix is 96% chickpeas, ground in their own mill, and just like the flatbread mix, it's certified gluten-free and organic. Both are super easy to prepare, whether in a pan or in the oven, and they also work beautifully in the air fryer.
Hummus is classically made with tahini, garlic, and cumin, but this is the component where I picked up the most tips and tricks from Ottolenghi – you'll find them all below in the recipe. Today, I made the quick version with canned chickpeas. Of course, you could also soak and cook dried chickpeas for this instead.
Salata baladia is a simple, fresh salad made from tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and fresh herbs, which you just chop up and toss together.
Sumac onions are a fabulous topping that you can prepare for this recipe and then reuse in countless other dishes if you store them airtight in the fridge. Sumac itself is a spice that already tastes slightly lemony and tangy, but also fruity and a bit earthy. You'll find it at Middle Eastern grocery stores, and sometimes at well-stocked supermarkets too.
Harissa chickpeas bring even more crunch to the platter and make a great topping as well as a snack on their own. Harissa comes from Tunisia, and you can use it either as a seasoning paste or a ground spice.
Last but not least, there's zhough, a Yemeni herb paste that comes in all kinds of ingredient combinations. Chili, fresh cilantro, garlic, and various spices are always part of it, though, and I looooove the fresh, but also spicy little moments it brings to the dish.

And if that's gotten you even hungrier, check out our vegan falafel curry with naan bread too.

Fresh ingredients, one pack of gluten-free flatbread, and one pack of Bauck falafel. The salad is served in a bowl.

Close-up of sumac onions and chickpeas being mixed together in a bowl.

Close-up of hummus in the food processor and close-up of zhough herbs in the food processor.

Flatbread is pressed with a handle and falafel are shaped from the bowl using an ice cream scoop.

Close-up of falafel and flatbread before baking in the air fryer, followed by baked falafel in the air fryer.

Vegan Falafel Platter with Air Fryer Flatbread and Homemade Hummus

3-4 servings

60 minutes (+ 60 minutes rising time + 25 minutes baking time)

Ingredients

For the flatbread:

1 (gluten-free) flatbread mix (e.g., from Bauck Mühle)
1 packet active dry yeast
400 ml (1.66 cups) lukewarm water
sesame seeds
nigella seeds

For the falafel:

1 falafel mix (e.g., from Bauck Mühle)
250 ml (1 cup) hot water

For the sumac onions:

2 red or white onions
1 tbsp sumac
lemon juice
salt

For the harissa chickpeas:

400 g (14 oz) canned chickpeas
harissa (paste or powder)
lemon juice
olive oil
salt

For the hummus:

400 g (14 oz) canned chickpeas
50 g (1.75 oz) tahini
1 garlic clove
0.5 tsp ground cumin
lemon juice
ice cubes
salt

For the zhough:

2 serrano chili peppers
2 garlic cloves
25 g (approximately 1 cup, loosely packed) cilantro
0.5 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp ground coriander
0.5 tsp ground cardamom
approximately 75 ml (0.33 cup) olive oil
lemon juice
salt

For the salad:

2 large tomatoes
2 English cucumbers
1 red onion
10 g (approximately 2 tbsp) parsley
10 g (approximately 2 tbsp) mint
2 tbsp olive oil
lemon juice
salt
pepper

Instructions

Flatbread: Prepare the flatbreads according to the package instructions: combine the mix with the dry yeast and add the lukewarm water. Knead everything into a smooth dough and let it rise, covered, in a warm place for approximately 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4–6 portions and roll or shape them out a bit thinner. Sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds, if desired, then let rise again, covered, for another approximately 30 minutes. Bake the flatbreads at 230 °C/445 °F (convection) for approximately 25 minutes in the oven or air fryer.
Falafel: Place the falafel mix in a bowl and pour in the hot water. Mix well and let the mixture sit for approximately 15 minutes to swell. Mix everything well again and shape into small balls. Either fry them in a pan with vegetable oil, or bake them in the air fryer at 210 °C/410 °F for approximately 15 minutes.
Sumac onions: Peel the onions, halve them, and either thinly slice them with a mandoline or cut them with a knife.Massage with sumac, a little lemon juice, and salt, then set aside and let sit until serving.
Harissa chickpeas: Drain the canned chickpeas and pat them extra dry with a clean kitchen towel. Toss with harissa, a little oil, lemon juice, and salt, and season. Either fry briefly in a pan, or bake in the oven or air fryer until crispy.
Hummus: Drain the canned chickpeas well. Add them to a blender along with the tahini, peeled garlic, ground cumin, and a few ice cubes, and blend for a few minutes into a creamy hummus, adding a little water as needed. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, more tahini, and more cumin.

Tip 1: This ice cube tip comes from Ottolenghi. The ice cubes shock the tahini as it's blended, whipping extra air in and making the hummus lighter and fluffier. If you don't have any, you can just leave them out.

Tip 2: For an even creamier hummus, you can also simmer the chickpeas in water seasoned with salt and cumin for approximately 10 minutes beforehand. This makes the chickpeas softer and also more intense in flavor. You can then use the cooking water later and add it while blending, until the hummus reaches your desired consistency.

Tip 3: You can also dry canned chickpeas with a kitchen towel so their skins loosen and can be removed. I'll admit I rarely have the patience for that, but I wanted to mention it anyway.

Zhough: Roughly chop the chili peppers and remove the seeds, if desired. Process the chili and garlic in a food processor first, until finely chopped but still a little chunky. Add the cilantro, spices, and a little lemon juice, and continue processing, drizzling in the olive oil, until you have a paste. Season to taste with salt and, if needed, more of the spices.
Salad: Finely dice the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion. Finely chop the fresh parsley and fresh mint. Combine everything in a bowl and toss with olive oil. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Serve all the components together.