It seems everyone has a falafel recipe and why wouldn't they their so dame good. I tried many recipes on the net but they didn't have as much favour as when you get them from a resturant. This one does! I think I got the recipe from an old Vegetarian Times magazine. The tahini sauce is from the cookbook Vegan With A Vengence. I'll be honest many times I'm too lazy to make the tahini sauce so I just have it with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and lots of hot sauce on top. This recipe has been doubled because I find making falahels to be time consuming. I just freeze the falahel patties and take them out when needed.
Falafels
4 cups canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
4 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp coriander
2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp tahini
oil for frying
pita bread
Condiments
hot sauce
lettuce, chopped
tomato, red onion and cucumber, chopped
tahini sauce (recipe below)
Mash chickpeas in batches on a plate using a potato masher. Once all mashed then mix and mash well with all the rest of the ingredients excluding condiments of course.
Wet hands often and shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch patties. In a large pan heat oil. Test the oil by throwing in a pinch of the batter; if the oil immediately bubbles up rapidly, it is ready. Cook the patties. Remove from pan and transfer onto a flattened paper bag or paper towels to drain.
On one side of a pita spread some tahini sauce, then add hot sauce, some falafel patties, lettuce, tomato, red onion and cucumber. Then fold over.
Tahini Sauce
1 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
Juice from 1/4 lemon of a lemon
a dash of fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup cold water
Heat the garlic in 2 Tbsp the olive oil in a small sauté pan over very low heat for 2 minutes; just until it’s fragrant (don’t burn the garlic). Place the heated garlic and all the other ingredients in a blender blend until smooth. Refrigerate at least 1/2 hour in an airtight container. You may need to mix in a little extra water once it’s chilled.












