Finely shred or slice the red cabbage and knead it briefly with lemon juice and a little salt until it softens slightly. Thinly slice the cucumber.
Stir the tahini with lemon juice, salt and hot water into a smooth, creamy dressing. Stir in a little more water if needed.
Fry the falafel in a frying pan with a little olive oil until crisp and golden brown all over. Turn them regularly.
Warm the wholemeal pitta briefly in the toaster or oven until soft and easy to open.
Fill the pittas with red cabbage and cucumber, then add the hot falafel. Finish with parsley.
To serve, spoon the tahini sauce generously over the filled pittas and eat warm straight away.
Good to know
This is the kind of meal I especially like: warm, crunchy and on the table fast. The pitta feels like street food but stays pleasantly simple and fresh.
Swaps
Wholemeal pitta → lettuce leaves (no bread, still crunchy) | Red cabbage → white cabbage (milder flavour, also provides fibre) | Cucumber → tomato (adds lycopene) | Tahini → white almond butter with lemon (similarly creamy, milder; contains tree nuts)
Allergens
Contains sesame (tahini) and gluten (pitta); shop-bought falafel can contain other allergens, so check the label. Good for children if the falafel aren't too dry, and in pregnancy there are no concerns as long as all ingredients are fresh and handled with good kitchen hygiene.
