So I’m in Berlin now and my flat doesn’t have an oven. Real convenient for a food blogger. But do not fear! It’s given me a great excuse to expand my non-oven based repertoire. I’ve been thinking a lot about desserts and sweet treats I can make without the use of an oven, but I need a bit more time for that. In the meantime, here’s a delicious, healthy and super easy savoury recipe.I wanted to make my own hummus to go with my homemade wraps and falafel, but I’m not a massive fun of plain hummus and wanted to make a roasted red pepper dip instead. So this recipe uses a really quick alternative to roasting your own peppers: roasted peppers from a jar! The recipe could not be simpler. I also served mine with a yogurt, mint and cucumber dip.

NB: The flatbread recipe isn’t mine. The link for the original can be found here: http://www.recipetineats.com/easy-soft-flatbread-yeast/

Makes enough for 5-6 people

Ingredients

For the falafel:

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 can of chick peas, drained and patted dry
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp coriander seed (crushed or powdered)
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• handful of fresh parsley stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• salt and pepper (to taste)

For the flatbread:

• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 50g butter, melted
• 185ml milk

For the hummus:

• 1 jar roasted peppers (preferably red and in oil)
• 1 can chick peas, drained and patted dry
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• handful fresh coriander, including stalks
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Method

For the falafel, start by cooking the sweet potatoes until soft. You can do this in the microwave (pierce the skin a few time with a fork beforehand), boiling in a pan or roasted in the oven. If you’re doing them in the oven, preheat to 200°C and leave to cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until soft all the way through.

Meanwhile, fry the onions and spices on a medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley stalks. Leave to cool slightly and then add to a blender with the chickpeas and flour. Whizz for a minute or so, until the mixture is starting to get smooth.

Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, spoon out the filling and add to the blender. You might need to add a little flour here – the mixture should be a little bit sticky but not really wet. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Shape the mixture into whatever size you like and dust with flour. Alternatively, you could shape the mixture and leave in the fridge. Roll in flour just before frying.

To cook, put enough oil in a frying pan to make a depth of about 1cm. Heat the oil until it’s starting to sizzle nicely, then reduce to a low-medium heat. Put a few of the falafel balls into the pan. Keep checking on them to make sure they aren’t burning but that they are crisping up. Turn over every few minutes until they’re totally golden brown.

For the flat breads, melt the butter and milk together in the microwave or on a low heat on a hob. Mix into the flour and salt. Knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough becomes soft. Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

To make the hummus, combine all the ingredients in a blender. For the peppers, don’t bother draining off too much of the oil as this will just be instead of adding extra oil to the mixture. Whizz in the blender until smooth, or to your liking. Season to taste.

When you’re ready to eat, cut the flatbread into 6 even (ish) pieces. Make each one into a ball and roll out until about 0.5cm thick, or just as thin as you can get them. Heat a medium frying pan until hot. Add each piece of dough one at a time and fry on a medium heat. Flip over once bubbles start to form and/or they turn golden brown.

Serve with fresh coriander and a simple yogurt, mint and cucumber dip if you so desire. Enjoy!