Falafel With Tahini Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough water to cover by 3 inches. Place bowl in refrigerator and let soak until the chickpeas swell to double their size, at least 12 hours and up to 24. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
• Transfer rinsed chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well ground (about the consistency of cornmeal). Add onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, mint, cumin, coriander, baking powder, salt, and pepper; process until mixture is pureed, scraping down sides as necessary. Falafel mixture can be made 3 to 4 days in advance and kept refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Fill a countertop electric fryer or a deep pot 3 inches high with oil. Heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Using your hands, form falafel mixture into a 1 3/4-inch balls, pressing tightly so that falafel does not fall apart while frying.
• Using a slotted spoon and working in batches, carefully add falafel to hot oil, gently nudging so they do not stick to the bottom. Fry, turning as needed, until crusty and dark brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer falafel to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve immediately with tahini and pickled vegetables.

Steps:

• Make the spice mix: In a skillet over low heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Grind the toasted seeds in a spice grinder. Add the dried parsley, granulated garlic, chili powder, granulated onion, za'atar, sumac, allspice, chili flakes, a few turns of black pepper and continue grinding to combine. Set aside. Spice mix will keep for several weeks in an airtight jar.
• For the falafel: In a food processor, add the chickpeas, chopped onion and garlic, parsley, cilantro, baking soda, spice mix and salt. Pulse until the mixture's combined and the chickpeas are pea-size, stopping and stirring halfway through. Tightly pack the falafel mixture into balls the size of an extra large marble and set aside.
• Fry the falafel: Pour oil half full into a deep pan and set over medium heat. Secure a deep-fry thermometer to the pan's side and heat oil to 375 degrees F. Using a spider strainer, gently drop the falafel balls, one at a time, into the hot oil making sure the pot isn't overcrowded with falafel. Cook until most of the bubbles have disappeared and the falafel is golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Remove to a wire rack fitted over a baking sheet to cool and repeat the process until all of the falafel balls are cooked.
• Make the tahini dressing and assemble the dish: In a blender add the garlic, water, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Blend until combined. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and lemon juice if necessary and blend again. Set aside. Tahini sauce can be made several days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. To serve, place falafel balls on a platter, drizzle with tahini sauce and garnish with parsley and a lemon wedge.

Steps:

• Falafel: Grind the first four spices in a spice grinder or moprtar and pestle. Place the ground spices in the workbowl of a food processor along with the chickpeas, onion, and garlic. Pulse several times to mince the contents.
• Add the sesame seeds, matzo meal, parsley, and baking powder and pulse until evenly mixed, being careful not to puree the mixture.
• Beat the egg in a large bowl, add the chickpea mixture, salt, and pepper and mix well. Chill at least 15 minutes.
• Form 16 balls of the chilled chickpea mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, flattening each ball slightly.
• Heat the oil to 360 degrees in a large heavy pot and fry the falafel until golden, turning at least once. This should take 2 or 3 minutes. Drain well before serving, hot, with the tahini sauce and lemon wedges.
• Tahini Sauce ( makes about 1/2 cup):Combine all ingredients except water in the workbowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the water slowly with the motor running until it forms a creamy sauce.

Steps:

• For the falafel: To the bowl of a food processor, add the chickpeas, cilantro, parsley, chickpea flour, ground cumin, salt, baking soda, onions and garlic. Pulse until the mixture is a coarse paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then pulse again to make sure the ingredients are fully combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the sesame seeds, baking powder and cayenne. Mix to combine.
• Scoop the mixture using a 3-ounce cookie scoop and place onto a sheet tray. Roll each falafel into a ball and then lightly squish into patties. Dust each patty with chickpea flour.
• Fill a large high-sided pan with 1 inch of canola oil and add the olive oil. Turn on the heat to low and gently heat the oil until it shimmers. Test the oil with a pinch of flour; if it sizzles, the oil is ready. Working in batches, fry the falafel, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, season immediately with kosher salt, then transfer to a sheet tray lined with a rack. Repeat with remaining falafel patties.
• For the tabbouleh: Add the bulgur and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a large, heat-resistant bowl. Mix with a spoon to coat the bulgur with the oil. Cover the bulgur with the boiling water, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the soaked bulgur through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the water. Spread the bulgur onto a quarter sheet tray to cool.
• Add the garlic paste, lemon zest, lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Put the cooled bulgur, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, scallions, parsley and mint into another large bowl. Fold the dressing into the bulgur mixture and season with kosher salt to taste.
• For the tahini sauce: Add the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and kosher salt to taste into a bowl. Whisk to combine. If the mixture is too thick, you can thin it out with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
• To serve, plate the romaine lettuce and top with the falafel. Serve alongside the toasted pita bread, tabbouleh and top with a drizzle of tahini sauce.

Steps:

• Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 450 degrees F. Pulse 2 cups cilantro, 1 cup onion, the garlic, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and 2 tablespoons tahini; pulse to make a chunky paste. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the panko.
• Form the chickpea mixture into twelve 2-inch patties (about 2 tablespoons each). Remove the baking sheet from the oven, brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the chickpea patties. Bake, flipping the patties and rotating the pan halfway through, until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1/3 cup tahini with 6 tablespoons warm water and the juice of 1 lemon in a small bowl until creamy (it may look separated at first but it will come together). Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Toss the cucumbers with the juice of the remaining lemon, 1 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup sliced onion and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Warm the pita in the oven. Serve the falafel with the cucumber salad, pita and tahini sauce.

Steps:

• Drain and rinse both the fava beans as well as the chickpeas. Combine both beans in the bowl of a food processor, along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, baking soda, salt, ground coriander, and cayenne, and pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until a coarse paste is formed. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water, if needed to make the paste hold together - you will have to remove the lid of the processor and check this by pressing some of the mixture together between your fingers. Add a bit more water, if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to rest for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat at least 3-inches of oil in a saucepan or a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Scoop the fava-chick pea mixture into 1 1/2 to 2-tablespoon increments and, using your hands, shape into balls or patties about 1 1/2 to 2-inches in diameter. Gently lower the falafel balls into the hot oil (these are fragile - do not drop them or they will fall apart.) Fry the falafel in batches until crisp and brown, turning to promote even browning, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer to paper-lined plates to drain briefly before serving with the Tahini Sauce and pita bread, if using.
• Make the sauce by combining the tahini paste, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl and stirring to combine. Add the water a little at a time as needed to form a smooth, creamy sauce approximately the thickness of heavy cream. (Note that the sauce might appear to separate for a bit before enough water has been added; just keep adding more water bit by bit and stirring until the sauce comes together.) Season to taste with salt and more lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer to a nonreactive container and refrigerate until ready to serve the falafel.

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender mix together the first 11 ingredients until JUST smooth-a few small pieces is fine.
• Stir in the baking powder and flour mixing well.
• Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• (this is included in prep time).
• In the meantime in a food processor or blender combine the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cayenne-pulse to smooth and pour into a squirt bottle if you have one.
• Set aside.
• In a food processor or blender combine the cilantro, garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, peanut oil, vegetable oil, salt, pepper and sugar.
• Puree to smooth and pour into a squirt bottle if you have another one.
• Set aside.
• Shred lettuce, dice tomatoes and wrap pitas in a JUST damp towel and place in the middle of a 250°F oven.
• Heat oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet-you would only need around 2 inches of oil for this-or in a deep, heavy saucepan.
• Take about 2 T chickpea mixture and form into a ball, then press to form a small patty.
• Repeat until you have 3 or 4 and carefully place in hot oil with a slotted spoon.
• Fry 2 minutes, flip and fry for 2 minutes more.
• You want the falafel nice and golden brown.
• Repeat with remaining falafels.
• Drain on a rack with paper towels or newspaper underneath.
• Slice a warm pita in half, open and fill with lettuce and tomato, then 3 flalafels.
• Squirt in some tahini sauce and cilantro sauce.
• Serve.

Steps:

• Place onion, garlic and pepper flakes in food processor. Pulse until they're about 1/8-in. big.
• Add beans, parsley, and cilantro and chop until "pieces are about the size of a large pinhead." You don't want a puree here. (Thanks, dickrebel.).
• Dump the items from the food processor into a bowl. Stir in salt, cumin, baking powder and flour until well-mixed., but not really a dough.
• Stick it in the fridge, covered, for anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. The longer the better. (I did it for an hour, and turned out nicely.).
• With your hands, make small falafel hockey pucks about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter and ¾ of an inch high. (The flat surface will help with the frying.).
• Turn oven to 400ºF.
• Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a huge ovenproof skillet on medium-high. Fry the pucks for about 3 minutes on the first side, and 2 minutes on the second, until they're golden brown.
• When finished, stick skillet in oven (or transfer pucks to a Pam-ed aluminum foil lined cookie sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Stick four balls in half a pita with tomatoes, green pepper, and onions. Drizzle with tahini sauce.

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a large bowl, cover generously with water and soak overnight (at least 12 hours and up to 24).
• Drain chickpeas. Add onion, garlic, bread, parsley, and red sweet pepper. Run through the fine blade of a meat grinder. (You may process in food processor until mealy.) Add spices, flour, 10 mL (2 tsp) baking powder and water. Mix well.
• In a small dish mix the remaining baking powder and water. Use it to moisten the palm of your hands and form balls of the chickpea mixture the size of walnuts, then flatten a bit (basically a slightly flattened meatball shape).
• Deep fry in oil at medium high heat until golden brown.
• Serve piping hot (these can be made ahead and frozen- rewarm in the oven).
• Serving Suggestion: Using a 6-inch Arabic pita bread, lay 4-5 falafel (this depends on how big you've made them) down the length of the pita. Turn the pita over the falafel and using the heels of your hands, smoosh down on the falafels (not so hard that you totally melt them, but hard enough to flatten them somewhat). Open the pita again and add fixings of your choice. We like slices of tomato, dill pickle and a hearty sprinkle of parsley and LOTS and LOTS of fresh spearmint. Dress with sauce. Roll up as in a sandwich wrap and enjoy an extremely flavourful sandwich!
• For Taratoor Sauce: In a deep bowl beat the tahini with the crushed garlic and lemon juice until creamy. Add water bit by bit, beating well after each addition If using blender put all the ingredients in and blend. Add salt and parsley and stir. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed - the sauce should be tangy.
• Refrigerate until ready to use. This is also a great dip for crudites.

Steps:

• Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add cool water to cover by 3 inches. Soak the beans in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24; the chickpeas will swell to double their original size. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
• Put the soaked chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until well ground (about the consistency of cornmeal). Add the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, mint, cumin, coriander, baking powder, salt, and pepper; process until the mixture is completely pureed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If you have a small processor, you will have to do this in batches, but be sure to combine the batches in a mixing bowl at the end so all the ingredients are evenly distributed. You can make the falafel mixture 3 or 4 days in advance; store it covered in the refrigerator.
• Heat 3 inches of oil to 350°F in a countertop electric fryer or deep pot. If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, a good way to test if the oil is hot enough is to stick the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick in it. If bubbles circle around the end, then you're good to go.
• Form the falafel mixture into golf-size balls with your hands. Be sure to press the mixture tightly; if the balls are too loose they'll fall apart. Carefully slip a few of the falafels at a time into the hot oil with a slotted spoon, gently nudging them so they don't stick to the bottom. Fry until the falafels are a crusty dark brown on all sides, turning as needed so there are no hot spots, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the falafels with a slotted spoon and drain on a platter lined with paper towels.
• To serve, arrange the falafels on a platter with a bowl of tahini sauce on the side for dipping.
• Combine the tahini, soy, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a blender. Process on high speed to make a smooth and creamy sauce. If the tahini sauce gets too thick as it sits, mix in a little bit of water or lemon juice to thin it out.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Thinly slice one-third of onion. Toss slices with 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Pulse chickpeas, garlic, coriander, cumin, 3/4 cup parsley, 1 tsp. salt, and remanining onion in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add flour and baking powder and pulse a few more times to combine.
• Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, portion out 12 ping pong-sized balls and place on sheet, spacing 1" apart. Gently press down on tops to flatten slightly. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp. oil. Bake falafel, turning balls halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, 20-25 minutes. Wrap pitas in foil and warm in oven during last 5 minutes of baking.
• Meanwhile, whisk 1/4 cup oil and remaining 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon orange juice, 2 tsp. vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in tahini and 1/4 cup water until a smooth sauce forms.
• Whisk 2 Tbsp. pickling liquid from reserved onions with remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in another medium bowl. Add cabbage, tomatoes, and onions and toss to coat.
• Cut each pita into 4 pieces. Drizzle falafel with 2 Tbsp. tahini sauce and top with remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Serve with pita, hummus, salad, and remaining tahini sauce alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Falafel can be made 5 days ahead; store in an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 1 month.