Homemade crispy falafel stuffed into warm pita pockets with fresh vegetables, homemade hummus and tahini sauce is the ultimate weekend breakfast, lunch or brunch. Or serve the falafel pita pockets with a Middle Eastern bulgur wheat salad for a weeknight dinner.The falafel pita recipe makes 8 falafel pita halves.
Servings4
Equipment
Ingredients
Falafel mixture (or use shop-bought falafel)
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water*
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup roughly chopped herbs, a mix of parsley, cilantro and mint
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- oil for frying
Falafel salad mix
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced and placed in a bowl of water
- ½ English cucumber, sliced into half-moon shapes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and black pepper, to taste
To serve falafel pita sandwich
- 4 pita, or whole-wheat pita
- ½ cup creamy lemon hummus, or store-bought hummus
- ½ cup tahini sauce
- zhoug or hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- You can make the tahini sauce, hummus and zhoug up to three days in advance. Or use good quality store-bought versions.
Make the falafel mixture
- Drain the soaked chickpeas in a colander or fine mesh strainer and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
- Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz for 15 seconds and scrape down the sides.
- Add the chopped herbs, onion and garlic. Blitz for another 30 seconds or so – scrape down the sides as necessary. The falafel mixture should be well combined and damp with a coarse texture. It should hold together when shaped.
- Transfer the chickpea mixture to a large mixing bowl or airtight container and add the spices and salt. Mix it well. Then, sprinkle over the baking soda and give it a final mix. Cover the falafel mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to 24 hours) while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Prep the falafel salad
- Drain the onion and mix it with the cucumber, tomatoes, chopped herbs, olive oil and lemon juice. Add half a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
Shape the falafel
- Divide the falafel mix into 24 even-sized small portions (about a heaped tablespoon).
- Roll each portion of the falafel mix into a ball. Then gently flatten the ball into a thick rounded pattie. Use wet fingers to round any burst edges.
Cook the falafel
- Fill a deep, heavy-based medium saucepan with enough oil to rise about 2½ inches (7 cm) up the side. And place the pan on medium heat to bring the oil to 350 °F.
- Gently lower the falafel into the hot oil in batches – I do 6 to 8 falafel per batch. Cook the falafel patties for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked falafel to a bowl lined with kitchen paper.
Assemble the falafel pita sandwiches
- I like to heat the pita bread in the oven for 2 minutes at 350 °F, but you can skip this if the pita is super fresh.
- Cut each warm pita in half. Spread hummus inside the pita pocket and add some salad. Place 2 to 3 small falafel patties inside each half-pita pocket and top with tahini sauce and zhoug (or hot sauce).
Notes
- The tahini sauce recipe makes more than you need. But there are plenty of ideas for leftover tahini sauce.
- I like to make small patties because they fit better into the narrow pita pockets. But you can also make round falafel balls or bullet-shaped falafel. Read more about crispy Middle Eastern falafel for all the tips and tricks, frequently asked falafel questions, freezing instructions and more.
- If you are not going to eat the falafel sandwich immediately, allow the cooked falafel to cool to room temperature before assembling your sandwich.