Lesson video

Hello, thanks for choosing this lesson.

My name's Mr. Ballam, and today we're going to be making a pea and mint falafel, with tzatziki.

So let's get started, shall we? So what are we going to learn? Well, by the end of today's lesson, you're gonna be able to use your food skills to make the pea and mint falafel, with tzatziki.

It sounds really interesting, and it's delicious too.

Before we get started, let's look at some key words which we're gonna cover in today's lesson.

The first one is Middle Eastern, and this is relating to the cuisine or people of the Middle East, and it's an area of the eastern Mediterranean to Iran.

The next one is food processor, and this is an electrical appliance for grating, chopping, mixing, or blending foods.

The third one is falafel, which is a Middle Eastern dish of spiced mashed chickpeas or other pulses formed into balls.

The fourth one is tzatziki, and that's a Greek side dish made with yoghourt, cucumber, garlic and mint.

And the last one is chickpeas, and these are round, yellowish edible seeds eaten as a pulse.

So let's get started with the first part of the lesson, which is all around recipe origins and modifications.

So the origins of falafel can be traced back to Egypt, and they feature a lot within Middle Eastern cuisines.

And they're traditionally made with chickpeas, like we mentioned earlier, but other beans can be used too.

So fava bean falafel, for example, has a lighter texture and a different flavour, and they're really popular in Egypt, and they're commonly served with things like salads, different types of breads, and also dips like the tzatziki that we're gonna make today.

And falafel is traditionally made from these ingredients.

So the first one is chickpeas, onion, garlic, spices, and different types of herbs.

And all the ingredients are mixed together into a coarse paste.

And then other ingredients can be used as well.

So some people, for example, add chilies.

And then, traditionally, the falafels are fried.

Now, tzatziki is a traditional Greek dip, a sauce, but there are other variations that can be made around the Middle East too.

And it's made from these ingredients: yoghourt, garlic, cucumber, and mint.

They're really delicious mixed together.

And lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and olive oil may also be used, just to give it a slightly different texture and flavour too.

Now, you'll all be familiar with the Eatwell Guide, and to help meet current healthy eating messages, recipes and cooking methods can be modified.

Now, what are the key healthy eating messages? Do you remember? Well, there are quite a few, but here's the basics.

So key messages include things like following the Eatwell Guide itself, also having at least 5 A DAY, basing meals on starchy carbohydrates, the higher fibre varieties where possible.

Also, diversifying the sources of protein.

So, for example, having more beans and pulses in the diet.

Also, including two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily.

Plus having more fibre in the diet, as well as drinking plenty.

Remember, about six to eight drinks every day.

And lastly, to reduce fat, salt, and sugars.

Now, in addition to those healthy eating messages, the way in which we cook the food can help us meet those healthy eating messages too.

And what this means in practise is using cooking methods that use less or no fat during the cooking process.

So I want you to name five healthier cooking methods.

How did you do? Well, there's two on the screen, aren't there? So you could have had those straight away.

So you could have had grilling or barbecuing, because there's no fat added here.

Also, you could have had poaching or steaming.

Or perhaps air-frying.

How about microwaving? Or baking? Not roasting, 'cause roasting usually involves adding fat.

Also, you could have had stir-frying, which uses less fat and less oil.

Or you could have had dry-frying, where no oil was added, and this is where you dry-fry, for example, beef mince in a frying pan with some onion.

Now, falafel is often seen as a healthier dish as it includes chickpeas and pulses.

However, falafel is traditionally fried, which is a less healthy cooking method, and the dish provides more oil in that case because of the oil or the fat used.

Now, alternative cooking methods can be used, which use less oil.

So, for example, you could grill them, bake them, or air-fry them.

So let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we? So traditionally fried falafel is healthy, as it's made from chickpeas.

Well, that's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, while chickpeas are a healthy choice, falafel is usually deep-fried, so less healthy.

But this can be changed, and alternative cooking methods can be used which use less oil, such as grilling, baking, or air-frying.

Brilliant.

Well done.

Now, the recipe that we're going to use has been selected and modified to be healthier by using chickpeas, by adding peas, no salt added, grilling, and also using a reduced-fat yoghourt.

Now, why do you think these changes have been made? So let's have a look at these in turn, shall we? Well, the first one, chickpeas.

Well, it's one of your 5 A DAY, is a good protein source too, and it provides fibre.

Adding peas, again, one of your 5 A DAY, and also helps to provide extra fibre in the diet.

No salt, well, that's to reduce salt in our diet overall.

Grilling, well, there's no fat involved, 'cause they're not fried.

And lastly, again, yes, that's right, less fat.

So you can see here, this recipe's been selected and modified to be healthier for these different reasons.

So let's have another quick check, shall we? So which of these are not modifications for health? A, B, C, D? That's right, B, lightly frying fish.

Anything else? Yes, that's right, adding salt to boiling potatoes.

Well done.

Now, food allergies or intolerances should always be considered when planning what to eat and cook.

And a recipe can be adjusted, substituting ingredients and ensuring that there is no cross-contamination.

And while people might be allergic to many different types of ingredients, there are 14 common ingredients that have been identified.

And food labels provide information about these 14 common allergens.

So let's see if you can name the 14 ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction.

How many have you got? Well, let's have a look together, shall we? Well, the 14 common ones are celery, the cereals with gluten, so wheat, for example, crustaceans, so things like shellfish, so like a crab here, eggs, milk, fish, and lupin.

Also, we have molluscs, so mussels here, for example, mustard, different types of nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, soya, and sulphites.

So these are the 14 different types of common food allergens that you will see listed on food packaging.

So now we know a bit more about allergens, what allergens are in this falafel and tzatziki recipe? Let's have a quick look.

So scan down the falafel.

Is there anything there that jumps out? How about the tzatziki? Well, yes, well done if you notice the plain flour.

Because we haven't said what type of flour, so that could be wheat flour, for example.

And how about the tzatziki? Anything there? Yes, well done.

That's the yoghourt, isn't it? So what could we do to help modify this recipe? How could we adapt it if you have an allergy to either of these? So the first one, you could use a gluten-free flour, and for the second one, we could use a dairy-free yoghourt.

So let's have a quick check that you've been listening, shall we? So what allergens are being shown on this food label? How'd you get on? Did you look at the label carefully? Well, that's right, celery is being noted.

Also wheat.

Anything else? Yes, well done.

Milk.

And you can see these 'cause they're in bold on the label.

Brilliant.

Well done.

So now I've got a task for you, and I want you to explain how the following recipe can be modified for health and for any potential allergens.

So have a look at the recipe, and in the modifications box, I want you to think about any changes you can make for health, plus any changes you can make for any potential allergens.

Good luck.

Pause the video, and we'll come back very soon to see how you got on.

Okay, so how did you get on? I bet you did really well.

But let's have a look at an example together, shall we? So one of the first things you could have done is to add more vegetables to the dish.

So things like, for example, carrot and celery, and it's a part of your 5 A DAY, and also provide extra fibre.

But we need to be careful because it's also one of those 14 allergens.

So if someone has an allergen to celery, you need to use a different vegetable.

Another one could be to reduce the meat used and add lentils.

So remember, we're looking at diversifying our sources of protein.

And we could use a lower fat mince.

So if you see here on the screen, the mince here is 12%, so we could get a 5% fat mince, and we could also dry-fry it with the vegetables.

How about other changes? We could also use a reduced salt stock cube, and we need to check the label in case it's got celery added to it.

So the reason for changing this, less salt, but also it's an allergen check too.

We could also use a wholemeal pasta, which has extra fibre.

However, we need to use a gluten-free variety if there's an allergen.

And lastly, we could use less cheese, or perhaps use a reduced-fat version as well, so it's less fat overall.

However, we need to use a dairy-free alternative if there's an allergen.

Well, brilliant.

Well done.

And you can see we can make tweaks to a recipe to make it healthier, but also look out for any potential allergens as well.

Brilliant work.

Now let's move on to the next part of the lesson, all around making your pea and mint falafel.

Now, to make the dish, you're gonna use lots of different types of food skills, and the first one is measuring, and you're going to be using weighing scales.

Now, what should you check on the weighing scales before you start? Well, that's right, you need to make sure it displays zero so you actually weigh the accurate amount.

Plus, you're gonna be using measuring spoons.

Now, what is the difference between a level and a heaped spoon? Well, a level spoon is where you have a spoon, you've put it in some ingredients, like some herbs, and there might be a little heap on top, and you can use the back of a knife just to gently push them away so you've got a level spoon.

A heaped spoon is where you put it in, and there's literally a little heap on top of the spoon.

Another food skill we're going to use is draining, and we're going to be draining the chickpeas.

So how are the chickpeas drained? Yes, that's right.

They're drained in the sink using a colander.

Now, what tips would you give someone about draining food safely? Well, you could have said that when you're moving around the room, for example, you need to make sure that the colander isn't dripping on the floor, 'cause that could cause accidents.

People could slip and fall over.

And here's our chickpeas on a piece of paper, and we're gonna pat them dry.

Now, do chickpeas count as one of your 5 A DAY? Well, yes they do, don't they? But only once per day, no matter how many you eat.

Brilliant.

Well done.

Another food skill we're going to use is peeling, and we're going to peel away the papery skin of the garlic and the onion.

Now, what else can you do to release the skin on a garlic clove? Yes, you've probably seen it.

Sometimes people use the side of a knife to push down and break the skin.

It just makes it easier to peel the skin away.

And also, what should we do with the peelings afterwards? There's a clue on the screen.

Well, that's right, we could put them in a compost bin.

We're also going to be juicing.

Now, how is a lemon juiced? And what other types of fruits can be juiced in this way? So let's have a quick look together, shall we? Well, you need to hold the juicer down very carefully on a work surface.

You then twist the cut citrus fruits around, around the top.

And what happens here, this releases the juice within the cells of the fruit, and the juice then comes down to the bottom of the juicer.

And of citrus fruits? Yes, that's right.

Well, this is a lemon.

You have lime, for example, an orange, or perhaps a grapefruit as well.

And there are actually a few more.

If you've got those, well done.

We're also going to be de-seeding, and we're gonna be de-seeding or removing the seeds from the cucumber and the chilli.

Now, can you name two ways in which the seeds from a cucumber or chilli can be removed? One of the first ways is actually you could use a spoon.

So here you can see the cucumber, and this scraping the seeds away from the inside.

And the chilli? Well, yes, that's right.

You could also use the spoon trick, or you could use a knife.

So there are two different ways of removing the seeds carefully and safely from cucumber or a chilli.

Now, particularly when you've been handling chilli, why should you wash your hands afterwards? Well, that's right, the chilli releases capsaicin, which triggers pain receptors in our skin.

And this means we need to wash our hands thoroughly, otherwise making sure you don't touch your nose, mouth, or eyes, it could sting.

So let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we? So after preparing a chilli, hands do not need to be washed as the capsaicin acts as a barrier.

Well, that is false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, washing hands thoroughly is essential.

The capsaicin from the chilli triggers pain receptors in our skin.

Brilliant.

Well done.

We're also going to be using a food processor.

Now, what safety advice would you give someone when using a food processor? Well, remember food processors can chop, slice, and grate large quantities of food very quickly.

However, care must be taken when placing and removing the blades, 'cause they're incredibly sharp.

And you need to make sure that the food processor is unplugged and switched off until you need it.

You need to make sure the lid is secured on the top, and never put hands or utensils in the food processor when it's active.

That's really, really important.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So which of these is safety advice for using a food processor? So how did you get on? Yes, that's A, C and D.

Well done.

So these three things are really important safety advice when you're using a food processor.

We're also going to be dividing.

So here's our falafel here that's been divided, and we're going to divide the mixture equally into eight and form it into patties.

And I've got a question for you I want to think about.

Why should we divide the falafel mixture equally? And when you're making the patties, you can lightly dampen your hands and roll them into little patty shapes, and the damp pans actually prevents the mixture from sticking.

And how about them being even-sized pieces? Well, we need to make sure it cooks evenly.

So if they're too small, the falafel might burn, and if it's too big, it may be undercooked.

So that's why we need to make sure that the falafel is divided equally, and also the thickness of the patties is the same too.

We're also going to be using the grill, and you can see here they're using the grill safely.

And I've got a couple of questions for you.

So why is the falafel on a lined baking tray? And why is the grill preheated? Well, the grill is preheated so that it's hot when the falafels are grilled and they start to cook immediately.

And the lined tray's there to make it easier to place and turn and remove the falafel over.

It also can save some washing up too.

And lastly, it's always important to wear oven gloves, as the tray will become really hot.

We're also going to be using grating.

Now, how do you grate safely? And can you name two non-fruit and vegetable foods that can be grated? Let's quickly go through these together, shall we? So first of all, this type of grater, sometimes it's called a box grater, you hold the grater down firmly on a chopping board.

You then rub the food down the grater, being careful not to grate your knuckles.

And lastly, there's no need to be fast, just grate precisely and safely.

So did you think of those two foods that you could grate? Well, one of them could be, for example, cheese.

You could grate cheese.

Also, sometimes people grate nutmeg as well.

And the third one? Well, some people actually grate bread to make breadcrumbs.

I'm sure there are other different types of foods that you could grate too.

We're also going to be chopping.

Yes, well, the first one is mint, which is a herb, and the second one is garlic.

Now, the term we've used here is chopping.

So what does chopping mean? Well, chopping means to roughly cut food, rather than slice or dice precisely.

You can see an example here, that's chopped garlic.

Next, we're gonna be mixing.

Now, what is the purpose of mixing? It sounds so simple, doesn't it? Well, mixing ensures that all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and distributed evenly.

And we need to mix carefully to avoid any splashes or spills.

And when you've mixed everything together, a bit like the tzatziki here, you could use a spatula to transfer it into a smaller bowl.

Okay, so we've been through all the food skills, now I want you to go and make your pea and mint falafel, with tzatziki.

And before you cook, I want to make sure you are ready.

So for example, tie up any long hair, remove jumpers, wash your hands, and also wear an apron.

Plus, I want to make sure you've got your ingredients and your equipment ready too.

And as you prep and cook, I want you to be safe and hygienic.

Plus, I want you to make sure you use your food skills precisely and accurately.

Now, here's the ingredients that you'll need.

And here's the equipment that you'll need.

So you might wanna pause the video while you get these ready.

And here's part one of the method.

Here's the second part of the method.

And here's the third part of the method as well.

And you can see here there's an optional extra there.

You can serve this with some pita bread and perhaps some salad too.

So good luck to you.

I'm sure you're gonna do brilliantly, and we'll come back very soon to see how you got on.

Pause the video.

Okay, so how did you get on? I bet you did fantastically.

Let's go through the recipe here to see how you were successful.

So one of the first things you would've done was to be lining the baking tray.

Then you would've prepared the falafel ingredients, just like explaining on the screen here.

You would then place the chickpeas and all the other ingredients in the food processor, you would've secured the lid, turned it on, and then blitzed into a coarse paste.

Then you would've preheated the grill, so it's ready when you need it.

You would've then unplugged the food processor.

You would've then taken off the lid, and then carefully removed the blades.

Then you would've removed the mixture from the food processor.

You then would've divided this into eight even-sized pieces and rolled them into even-sized patties as well.

Do you remember, you could use damp pans too? You then put them on a lined baking tray, and then you would've lightly sprayed them with a little bit of oil, and then we'd have grilled them for about 20 minutes.

And while the falafel was cooking, you would've made your tzatziki, so de-seeded and grated the cucumber, peeled and chopped the garlic, chopped the mint and mixing all together.

It'd be absolutely delicious.

Then you would've removed the falafel from the grill and just allowed it to cool slightly.

And then you'd have served the falafel and the tzatziki together.

Well, well done, and I really hope you enjoyed today's lesson all around pea and mint falafel, with tzatziki.

Let's have a quick summary of what we've learned today.

So one of the first things is that falafel can be traced back to Egypt, and it features a lot in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Tzatziki is traditionally a Greek dip or a sauce.

And the recipes and cooking methods can be modified to help meet current healthy eating messages.

Do you remember the recipe we looked at together? Also, that any food allergies or intolerances must be considered before you cook and eat, with recipes and ingredients being adjusted accordingly.

Do you remember the 14 main allergens? Also, food processors, they're brilliant, and they can chop, grate, slice large quantities of food, but care must be taken as the blades are incredibly sharp.

And lastly, we used lots of different food skills to make our falafel and tzatziki too.

And this included things like measuring, draining, de-seeding, peeling, juicing, using a food processor and a grill, dividing, chopping and mixing.

Wow, you've learned so much today, and you've done absolutely brilliantly, and I hope you come back very soon for another cooking and nutrition lesson with me.

Thanks a lot.

Bye.