Falafel with Muhammara
Prep. Time:
20 minutes (plus overnight soak)
Baking Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes (plus soaking time)
Serves:
4 servings (approximately 16 falafel)
Nikita created this dish for MasterChef UK Professionals Season 18. The 2022 champion returned to set the Skills Test benchmark for Week 8, designing a falafel platter that contestants had to replicate in 20 minutes. The dish features crispy chickpea falafel shaped into quenelles, muhammara with roasted red peppers and walnuts finished with pomegranate molasses, a two-ingredient yogurt flatbread with nigella seeds, and a sumac tomato salad. Monica called it 'Stunning. The falafel, crispy, crunchy. The inside is beautifully cooked' and praised the muhammara as 'so delicious.' Matt noted Nikita 'made a very detailed flavoured dish look incredibly easy.' Both contestants struggled: Charlie panicked and added water to his falafel mixture, while Tom's were rough and unshaped. This home version preserves Nikita's benchmark standard without the 20-minute time pressure.
Chef’s Notes: The Skills Test Benchmark
Why This Works as a Skills Test
Matt Tebbutt captured the essence of Nikita’s challenge: she made a deeply flavoured dish look deceptively simple. Within 20 minutes, contestants had to soak-dried-chickpea falafel (properly textured, not paste), a roasted pepper and walnut dip (balanced, textured), a from-scratch flatbread (blistered, puffed), and a
dressed salad (seasoned, fresh). Each component tests a different skill: the falafel test pulse control and oil temperature management; the muhammara tests seasoning balance; the flatbread tests dough handling and heat management; the salad tests knife skills and dressing balance. The fact that it’s “just falafel” disguises
real complexity.
What Went Wrong for the Contestants
Charlie panicked about his falafel mixture’s coarseness and added water, which weakened the binding. Nikita’s visible alarm (“oh no”) tells you everything - moisture is the enemy of falafel. The raw chickpeas provide just enough starch to bind without any added liquid. Tom, a trained baker, was overconfident with
the flatbread and casual with his falafel shaping, producing rough handfuls rather than Nikita’s precise quenelles. Monica had to repeatedly remind him that chatting was not a cooking technique. Both produced edible plates, but neither matched the champion’s standard of crispness, neatness, and balance.
Nikita’s Cooking Philosophy in This Dish
This dish perfectly represents Nikita’s stated approach: “My plating is actually quite simple, but it always delivers on flavour, and the flavours are always bold and strong.” The falafel are packed with herbs and spice; the muhammara has pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, and walnuts; the salad has sumac and
lemon; the flatbread has nigella seeds. Every component contributes flavour, nothing is merely decorative. It also reflects her global palate - a dish rooted in Levantine tradition, executed with the precision of someone trained in Michelin-starred kitchens.
Troubleshooting Guide
• Falafel fall apart in the oil: The mixture was either too wet (never add water - Charlie’s mistake) or too finely processed. It should be coarse like breadcrumbs. Ensure the chickpeas were thoroughly drained and patted dry. Chilling the mixture for 30 minutes helps. If still crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour (besan) as a binder.
• Falafel are dense and heavy inside: Over-processed in the food processor. Pulse, don’t blend. The texture should be visible grains, not a smooth paste. The baking powder also helps lighten the interior.
• Falafel are golden outside but raw inside: Oil was too hot, cooking the exterior before the centre. Maintain 350°F (180°C) and fry for a full 3–4 minutes. Test one first by cutting in half - the interior should be bright green from the herbs and cooked through.
• Muhammara is too thin or watery: The peppers weren’t drained and dried enough. Pat them aggressively with kitchen paper. The breadcrumbs also act as a thickener - add more if needed.
• Flatbread is tough or dense: Overworked. Knead for 1–2 minutes maximum. The dough should feel slightly sticky and soft, not elastic. Also ensure the pan is genuinely smoking hot - the high heat creates steam pockets that puff the bread.
• Flatbread doesn’t blister or puff: Pan wasn’t hot enough. Cast iron works best. Wait until you see a wisp of smoke before adding the bread. Don’t oil the pan - it should be completely dry.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
• Falafel mixture: Prepare and refrigerate up to 24 hours ahead. Shape and fry just before serving.
• Shaped uncooked falafel: Can be frozen on a tray, then bagged. Fry from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the cooking time.
• Muhammara: Make up to 5 days ahead. It improves overnight as flavours meld. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Flatbread dough: Make up to 2 hours ahead; keep covered. Don’t refrigerate or it becomes too stiff to roll.
• Cooked flatbreads: Best fresh but can be rewarmed in a hot dry pan for 30 seconds per side.
• Tomato salad: Assemble just before serving. Dressed tomatoes release water quickly.
• Leftover falafel: Reheat in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp. Do not microwave.
Variations & Substitutions
• Herb variations: Nikita used parsley and coriander. Dill, mint, or chives can replace up to half the herbs for a different character. Some Lebanese versions include spring onion.
• Baked falafel: For a lighter version, brush shaped falafel with oil and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes, turning once. They won’t be as crispy as Nikita’s deep-fried version but are still delicious.
• Muhammara with fresh peppers: Char whole red peppers over a gas flame or under a grill until blackened, then peel. Deeper, smokier flavour than jarred.
• Nikita’s Asian twist: True to her cooking style, you could add a teaspoon of gochugaru to the muhammara or finish the falafel with a drizzle of chilli oil and toasted sesame seeds.
• Wrap version: Use the flatbreads as wraps — spread with muhammara, add falafel and tomato salad, roll up. A complete portable meal.
• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free self-raising flour for the flatbread, and substitute the breadcrumbs in the muhammara with ground almonds.
Ingredients
Instructions
SOAK THE CHICKPEAS (THE NIGHT BEFORE)
Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with at least 3 inches (7 cm) of cold water. Soak for a minimum of 12 hours, up to 24. Authentic falafel are made from raw, soaked chickpeas — never from tinned or cooked chickpeas. Tinned chickpeas contain too much moisture and produce soft, pasty falafel that fall apart in the oil. Drain thoroughly and pat dry before using.
MAKE THE FALAFEL MIXTURE
Add the drained chickpeas, parsley, coriander, garlic, cumin, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse in short bursts — 15–20 pulses of 1–2 seconds each — until the mixture is coarsely ground with a texture like coarse breadcrumbs or couscous. You should still see individual flecks of herb and chickpea. Do not over-process into a paste. Stir in the baking powder. The mixture should hold together when squeezed in your palm. Refrigerate for 15–30 minutes if time allows.
MAKE THE MUHAMMARA
Pat the roasted peppers very dry with kitchen paper. Place the peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor. Pulse until combined but still textured — the walnut pieces should be visible. Season with salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
MAKE THE FLATBREAD DOUGH
In a bowl, combine the self-raising flour, Greek yogurt, nigella seeds, and a pinch of salt. Mix with a fork until it comes together, then tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for just 1–2 minutes until smooth. Do not overwork. Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a rough oval or circle about 5 mm thick.
COOK THE FLATBREADS
Heat a dry heavy-based frying pan or cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Cook each flatbread for 1–2 minutes per side until blistered, puffed, and charred in spots. Do not oil the pan — it should be completely dry. Stack cooked flatbreads under a clean tea towel to keep warm and pliable.
SHAPE AND FRY THE FALAFEL
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F (180°C). Shape the falafel into elegant quenelles using two dessertspoons — scoop the mixture with one spoon, then pass it back and forth between the two spoons to form a smooth, three-sided oval. Alternatively, form into small patties or balls about 1.5 inches (4 cm) across. Fry in batches of 4–5, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon to kitchen paper.
MAKE THE TOMATO SALAD
Cut the tomatoes into a mix of halves, quarters, and slices for visual variety. Toss with the thinly sliced red onion, torn parsley and mint, sumac, olive oil, lemon juice, and flaky sea salt.
PLATE THE DISH
Smear or dollop the muhammara onto a platter or individual plates. Arrange the warm falafel quenelles beside it. Stack or fold the flatbreads alongside. Pile the tomato salad in the centre or to one side.