Oded says: “This is truly delicious, offering such a great combination of flavours. In this recipe I use chicken thighs rather than breast, as they’re much juicier and have more flavour. Try to get that skin good and crispy: cook them skin-side down to begin with, then flip over just to finish. The spicy pilpelchuma works perfectly with the chicken, and is nicely finished with the peppery watercress and rich tahini.”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 chicken thigh, deboned with skin on
• 2 tablespoons Pilpelchuma (see below, makes 150g and can keep for up to one week)
• 2 pittas
• 2 handfuls of watercress
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons classic tahini, shop-bought

For the pilpelchuma:

• 10g sweet paprika
• 6g ground cumin
• 10g caraway seeds, ground
• 1⁄4 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 20g garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 75ml vegetable oil
• 25ml lemon juice

Method

Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan (skillet) and cook the chicken thighs skin-side down for 3–5 minutes, until golden brown and the skin is crisp. Turn and cook for a further 3–5 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Make a slit in the top of the pittas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Spread the pipelchuma evenly inside the pitta pockets. Insert the chicken thighs. Season the watercress with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper, and stuff it inside the pitta. Pour 3 tablespoons of tahini into each pitta and serve.

Oded says: “A classic street food and perhaps the most ubiquitous of filled pittas. I developed this recipe when I was consulting on the deli offering of a popular food store in London; a good falafel is crunchy on the outside and very soft on the inside. It has a certain density but should still have a lightness to it – it just has so much texture in one bite. Falafel is one of the first things I eat when I go home.”

Makes 2

Ingredients

• 2 pittas
• 300g green falafel (see below)
• 6 tablespoons chopped salad (page below)
• 6 tablespoons classic tahini, shop-bought

For the green falafel:

• 600g dried chickpeas, soaked in plenty of water for 24 hours
• 1 white onion, coarsely chopped
• 15g mild red chilli, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 120g coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
• 120g flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 15g ground cumin
• 10g ground coriander 
• 10g white sesame seeds
• 1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 75 ml cold water
• 15g sea salt
• 500ml vegetable oil, for frying

For the chopped salad:

• 5 good-quality, ripe tomatoes, cut into 2-3 mm dice
• 3 mini cucumbers, cut into 2-3 mm dice
• ½ white onion, cut into 2-3 mm dice
• 30g flat-leaf parsley, chopped and stalks discarded
• 15g mint, chopped and stalks discarded
• 25ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 25ml lemon juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

First, make the falafel. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mix the chopped onion, chilli, garlic and the fresh herbs in a bowl with the chickpeas. Using a meat mincer with a fine attachment, start passing the mixture through the grinder into a bowl. Once everything is minced, add the spices, sesame seeds, bicarbonate of soda, salt and the water. Mix well with your fingers, then store in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours before frying.

Once the falafel mixture has firmed up, then it is ready to begin rolling. Roll the falafel into small balls about 4 cm (11⁄2 in) in diameter.

Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175°C (350°F). Pan-fry a small quantity of the mixture to check the seasoning, and make any adjustments as necessary. Fry the falafel in batches (the oil will cool down if you add too many) and fry for 3–4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel or in a colander.

For the salad, place the diced tomatoes in a sieve or colander to drain the excess water. Combine everything in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix gently with a spoon. Pile into a bowl and serve with tahini on the top.

Make a slit in the top of the pittas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Layer the pittas with some falafel balls, chopped salad and tahini and repeat until the pittas are full. Enjoy. 

Oded says: “This is a real eat-with-your-hands dish. The stuffed pitta is usually cooked over charcoal, and you still get the absorbent effect of the pitta – the bread inside soaks up all the meaty flavour and the outside is charred, smoky and crisp.”

Serves 2–4 as a starter

Ingredients

• 2 pittas
• 150g minced beef
• 100g minced lamb
• 1⁄2 white onion, diced
• 25g parsley, leaves, finely chopped
• 25g coriander, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 50g lamb fat, melted
• Classic tahini, shop-bought, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).

Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat a griddle pan over a medium heat.

Make a slit in the top of the pittas of about 5 cm (2 in) so you can open it and fill them. Don’t make the hole bigger as the recipe won’t work. Mix all the ingredients (except the lamb fat and tahini) together in a bowl with your hands until well incorporated. 

Fill up the pittas with the mixture and, when full, press on the pittas to flatten them. Brush with lamb fat on both sides and grill over charcoal or fry on the hot griddle pan for about 5 minutes on each side, then place in the oven for 6–8 minutes. 

Remove the pitta from the oven and cut into quarters. Serve with tahini on the side.

Oren: A Personal Collection of Recipes and Stories from Tel Aviv by Oded Oren (£26, Hardie Grant) is out now