Falafel (Fava Bean Fritters with Lemon Minted Yogurt)

Ingredients

• 2.2 lbs Fresh Fava Beans In Their Pods (~2/3 lbs shelled weight) or 1 lb Defrosted Fava Beans, Skinned
• 6 Sprigs Fresh Cilantro
• 1 Bunch Fresh Mint
• Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Level Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Fresh Red Chile - Seeded and Finely Sliced
• 1 Lemon - Zest and Juiced
• 1 Tsp All Purpose Flour
• 4 Cups Vegetable Oil
• 1 Small Piece Potato - Peeled (Optional)
• 4 Tbs Plain Yogurt
• A Few Handfuls Mixed Crunchy Salad Leaves - Washed and Spun Dry
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pickled Chiles - To Serve

Preparation

• Boil any larger white-skinned fava beans for 30 seconds, then drain. When cool, pinch their skins off - they'll taste less bitter if you do this. Now whiz the cilantro and half the mint in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, and then add the spices, chile, fava beans and lemon zest and whiz until finely chopped (stopping once or twice to scrape the mixture off the sides). Sprinkle in the flour and pulse for a few seconds. Don't add any more flour or the mixture will become too dry.
• Get a large saucepan and pour in the vegetable oil until it's 2-3" deep. Be careful - keep kids and pets away, and make sure the handle isn't sticking out so you don't accidentally catch it and spill the hot oil. Heat the oil. To check whether it's hot enough for frying, drop in the piece of potato - as soon as it sizzles and floats to the top, you're in business. Remove the potato and discard it.
• Cover a plate with a sheet of waxed paper. Scoop up a small amount of the fava bean mixture and either use your hands or 2 spoons to shape it into little rounds, then put them onto the plate. When they're all done, carefully lower 1 of them into the hot oil with a slotted spoon and fry until crispy brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. When you've got the hang of it, fry the rest of them - they should all fit into the pan at the same time, but, if not, simply do in batches.
• For the lemon minted yogurt, squeeze half the lemon juice into the yogurt. Pick and chop the rest of the mint leaves and stir them in, adding salt and pepper to taste. Dress your salad leaves with a squeeze of lemon juice and some olive oil.
• Sprinkle the fritters with salt and serve the lemon minted yogurt, the dressed salad leaves and pickled chiles.