Susan Jung's Middle Eastern recipes for falafel, grilled aubergine, hummus and tzatziki

My favourite place for falafel is in Paris, at a small, crowded restaurant in the Marais called L'As du Fallafel.

It serves other dishes but, as its name suggests, the eatery's falafel is its most famous. The 'special' sandwich is pita stuffed with falafel balls, cabbage, tomatoes, tahini and grilled eggplant.

Falafel

Most people make falafel from a ready-mix packet - just stir in water, shape and fry. But fresh falafel, made from scratch, can be a revelation. It's lighter and has more texture and flavour than the instant variety.

With the following recipe, you may not need to add flour if your food processor is able to grind the chickpeas finely. I like to form the falafel mixture into the shape of small (3-4cm long) rugby balls. This allows them to be crunchy outside but moist inside. Flat patties are very crunchy and fit best into pita bread but they can be dry, while round balls can be difficult to cook through.

Serve the falafel with tahini (from a jar; stir in enough warm water to thin it out), harissa (chilli paste; in the supermarket it is usually in the section that has couscous), sliced tomatoes, cabbage or lettuce and onions, and with dishes of hummus, tzatziki and grilled aubergine.