Falafel Pita Pockets
Falafel are flavorful, golf ball–size, fried patties made of hearty beans, fresh herbs, and zesty spices. They go great in a sandwich or on their own with a tangy tahini dipping sauce.
Nutritional info
per serving
| Calories | 246 |
| Fat | 15g |
| Saturated fat | 2g |
| Carbohydrates | 24g |
| Sodium | 581mg |
| Fiber | 6g |
| Protein | 8g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
Falafel Pita Pockets
8 pita pocket
Servings
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Servings
Ingredients
- 1[1/2] cups dried chickpeas
- 1[1/2] cups dried fava beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- [1/2] cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 roughly chopped large yellow onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 tsp. salt
- 2 TB. ground coriander seeds
- 1 TB. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- [1/2] tsp. cayenne
- [1/4] cup plain breadcrumbs
- 3 TB. all-purpose flour
- 1 TB. baking soda
- 1 TB. baking powder
- 8 cups vegetable oil
- 4 (6-in.) pitas
- 2 large sliced tomatoes
- Pickled Turnips
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- Tahini Sauce
Directions
In a large bowl, combine chickpeas and fava beans with water. Set aside to soak overnight or for 8 or 9 hours.
Drain beans, and add them to a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Blend for 2 minutes, intermittently stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Transfer bean mixture back to the large bowl.
In the food processor, blend cilantro, parsley, yellow onion, garlic, salt, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne for 1 minute or until smooth. Transfer mixture to the large bowl.
Add breadcrumbs, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the bowl, and mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat vegetable oil to 365ºF. Using an ice-cream scoop or 2 spoons, form falafel mixture into golf ball–size patties. Carefully drop falafel balls in oil, and fry for about 4 minutes or until dark golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pot.
Remove falafel from oil, and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
To assemble, cut pitas in half and open the pockets. Place 3 falafel balls in the pocket, and add some tomatoes, Pickled Turnips (Kabees), and lettuce. Drizzle with Tahini Sauce (Tarator), and serve.
Falafel is a staple in the Mediterranean region. Aside from the fact that it is fried, it is full of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. You can make it a bit healthier by frying it in a light olive oilâ€â€Âor even baking it. Why use dried chickpeas and fava beans and then rehydrate them instead of using canned? Canned chickpeas and beans are cooked, so they have a different texture. Rehydrated chickpeas and beans are uncooked; they're just rehydrated and, therefore, have a firmer texture. If you use canned beans, the texture will be mushy and will disintegrate when you try to fry the balls.
Reviews
This is good. My husband it's the best falafel he has ever had. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes with us.
As a Michigander myself, I have 2 things to say about your U of M bowl.
1. Go green!
2. Go white!
