Beetroot Falafel; Sumac-spiced Houmous; Tomato Pomegranate Salad with Perfect Pitta
A vibrant Middle Eastern spread featuring beetroot falafel, sumac-spiced houmous and a tomato pomegranate salad served with freshly baked pitta. The TM7 chops the raw beetroot and chickpeas in seconds, kneads the pitta dough and blends the houmous silky smooth — one machine for the entire mezze table.
About this recipe
Beetroot Falafel with Sumac-spiced Houmous, Tomato Pomegranate Salad and Perfect Pitta on the Thermomix TM7 is a complete Middle Eastern mezze recipes experience made in one all-in-one kitchen machine. Dried chickpeas are transformed into tender, flavour-packed falafel with jewel-red raw beetroot folded through, while the TM7 blade blends the houmous into a silky, cloud-light spread perfumed with lemony sumac. Meanwhile the machine kneads the pitta dough to a soft, springy consistency that bakes into warm pocket breads, ideal for scooping up every element of the plate. The tomato pomegranate salad brings juicy sweetness and crunch to balance the spiced falafel. This plant-based feast is perfect for a leisurely weekend lunch, a festive mezze gathering or a quick weeknight dinner when you want something colourful, nutritious and impressive — all prepared with guided cooking and far less washing up than traditional methods.
Preparation tips
- Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water so they grind into a coarse, sandy falafel texture rather than a wet purée — this is the secret to falafel that hold together during frying.
- Chill the shaped beetroot falafel in the fridge before frying; the colder they are, the better they keep their shape and the striking ruby colour stays vivid inside.
- Serve the sumac houmous in a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil and scatter extra pomegranate seeds and sumac on top so every scoop from the warm pitta picks up colour and tang.
Recipe variations
- Gluten-free version: bake the falafel and houmous as normal, then replace the pitta with crunchy lettuce cups or gluten-free flatbreads — the beetroot falafel and pomegranate salad are naturally gluten-free.
- Festive winter variant: swap the tomato for thin slices of blood orange and roasted walnuts, and add a dusting of cinnamon to the falafel mix for a seasonal mezze platter over the holidays.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- The TM7 weighs the dried chickpeas and flour straight into the bowl, so every batch of falafel dough has a consistent, workable texture. [Built-in Scale]
- Kneading the pitta dough in the Thermomix takes just minutes and gives a smooth, elastic ball ready to rise without any sticky hands. [Time Savings]
- The Thermomix blends the chickpeas with tahini and sumac into a houmous of silky, restaurant-quality consistency every single time. [Time Savings]
- Steaming the beetroot in the Varoma keeps its ruby colour and sweetness intact before it is folded through the falafel mixture. [Multi-Function]
- Chopping the raw beetroot and herbs in the TM7 bowl happens in seconds, saving around ten minutes of hand cutting and stained fingers. [Time Savings]
Ingredients
- dried chickpeas
- water
- water
- sugar
- dried instant yeast
- olive oil
- strong white bread flour
- fine sea salt
- garlic cloves
- tahini