Falafel Pita

Name: Falafel Pita
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 300g Dried Chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained well; 1 small Onion, roughly chopped; 4 cloves of Garlic; 1 cup Fresh Parsley, packed; 1 cup Fresh Cilantro, packed; 2 tsp Ground Cumin; 2 tsp Ground Coriander; 1 1/2 tsp Fine Salt; 1/2 tsp Pepper (Black); 1 tsp Baking Powder; 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds; 2 tbsp Chickpea Flour, as needed for binding; 120ml Tahini Paste; 60ml Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed; 1 small Garlic, grated; 1/2 tsp Fine Salt; 100ml Water, cold, to thin to a pourable sauce; 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin; 4 large Pita Breads; 2 medium Tomatoes, diced; 2 small Persian Cucumbers, diced; 1 small Red Onion, thinly sliced; 1/2 cups Fresh Parsley, chopped; 10 slices of Pickled Cucumbers; 1/2 cups Pickled Turnip, sliced

Crisp, golden falafel pockets stuffed with fresh vegetables and tangy pickles make a satisfying, flavor-packed meal. Herby, spiced chickpea fritters are brightened with a lemony tahini sauce and tucked into warm pita for a classic Middle Eastern street-food experience.

Crisp, golden falafel pockets stuffed with fresh vegetables and tangy pickles make a satisfying, flavor-packed meal. Herby, spiced... Show more

Traditional Middle Eastern Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Rating

4.6

Time

1 hr

Price

1,73 €

Calories

770 kcal

vegan

meal prep

low sugar

kid friendly

comfort food

potluck

Method

Soak the chickpeas

Put the Dried Chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and leave them to soak overnight, about 8 to 12 hours. Drain them very well before you start the falafel mixture.

Prep the toppings

Rinse and dry the Fresh Parsley and Fresh Cilantro, then chop them finely; keep a small handful of parsley aside for serving and reserve the rest for the falafel mix. Dice the Tomato and Persian Cucumber, thinly slice the Red Onion, and cut the Pickled Cucumbers and Pickled Turnip into bite-size pieces. Keep the toppings in separate bowls so assembly is quick later.

Make falafel mix

In a food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, the Onion, Garlic, the reserved parsley and cilantro, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Fine Salt, Pepper (Black), Baking Powder, Sesame Seeds, and Chickpea Flour. Pulse in short bursts, scraping down the bowl as needed, until the mixture looks coarse and sandy but clumps when you squeeze it. If it seems too loose, pulse in a little more chickpea flour.

Heat the oven

Heat the oven to 425° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape falafel

With slightly damp hands, shape the mixture into 16 small balls or thick patties, about 1 1/2 inches across. If the mixture is still crumbly, work in a little more chickpea flour; if it feels sticky, let it sit for a minute and try again. Set the falafel on the lined baking sheet with a little space between each one.

Bake falafel

Bake the falafel for 12 minutes, then flip them carefully with a spatula and bake for 10 to 12 minutes more, until the outsides are deep golden and crisp and the centers feel set.

Whisk tahini sauce

In a bowl, whisk the Tahini Paste, Lemon Juice, grated garlic, Fine Salt, Ground Cumin, and Water until smooth. Add the water a little at a time until the sauce is creamy and pourable.

Assemble pitas

Split the Pita Bread open and warm it briefly in the still-hot oven or a dry skillet until soft and flexible. Fill each pita with falafel, the reserved parsley, Tomato, Persian Cucumber, Red Onion, Pickled Cucumbers, and Pickled Turnip, then spoon over the tahini sauce and serve right away.