Indulge in the tantalizing flavors of the Middle East with our delectable Falafel Sandwich recipe. These crispy and flavorful falafel balls, made from a blend of chickpeas, herbs, and spices, are nestled in a warm pita bread, accompanied by a vibrant array of fresh vegetables, and drizzled with a creamy and spicy tahini sauce.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you on a culinary journey, providing detailed instructions for crafting the perfect falafel sandwich. We'll start by showing you how to prepare the falafel mixture, expertly shaping and frying them until golden brown. Next, we'll guide you through making the vibrant and aromatic tahini sauce, adding a touch of heat with chili peppers.
Along the way, we'll also provide tips for selecting the freshest ingredients, assembling the sandwich, and storing leftovers. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a culinary novice, this recipe is designed to help you create an authentic and delicious falafel sandwich that will transport your taste buds to the bustling streets of the Middle East. So, gather your ingredients, prepare your taste buds, and let's embark on this flavorful adventure together!
FALAFEL WITH TAHINI SAUCE
There's not one "right" way to make a falafel. So if you like less onion, put in less onion. If you like more herbs, put in more herbs. More spice, more spice. It's really up to you.
Provided by Amanda Cohen
Categories main-dish
Time 45m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 28
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.
SPICY TAHINI SAUCE
Used throughout the Middle East as a dressing for salads, a sauce to drizzle over fish, chicken or vegetables, or as a dip in combination with eggplant or chickpeas, tahini is made from untoasted sesame seeds.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Quick & Easy Recipes
Yield Makes 1 cup
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Whisk the tahini, lemon juice,1/4 cup water, paprika, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth and combined. This will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days.
FALAFEL SANDWICH WITH SPICY TAHINI SAUCE
Nestled in pita bread, Middle Eastern falafel is draped with Spicy Tahini Sauce.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Vegetarian Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Place half the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until chopped. Set aside in a bowl. Place remaining chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, cilantro, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, lemon juice, and tahini in food processor; process until a coarse paste is formed, about 30 seconds. Add to bowl of chopped chickpeas; add egg, flour, and sesame seeds. Stir until combined. Shape into 12 two-inch patties.
- Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add patties; cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from oil; place on a paper-towel-lined tray.
- Fill pitas with lettuce, tomato, onion, and falafel. Drizzle with tahini sauce; serve.
FALAFEL WITH TABBOULEH AND TAHINI SAUCE
This recipe plays up Middle Eastern flavors and includes lots of fresh green herbs in the tabbouleh and falafel. Adding pomegranate molasses to the tahini lightens up the fat content and the yogurt also gives the sesame paste the lighter acidic kick it needs, helping the lemon juice.
Provided by Anne Burrell
Categories main-dish
Time 50m
Yield 4 servings (12 falafel)
Number Of Ingredients 33
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.
ULTIMATE FALAFEL SANDWICH
Here's how to make the very best falafel sandwich! The ultimate vegetarian sandwich, this recipe tastes just like restaurant style.
Provided by Sonja Overhiser
Categories Main Dish
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Make the falafel. (Note: The dried chickpeas must be soaked overnight.) Use the refrigeration time for the falafel dough to do the steps below.
- If using homemade bread, make the flatbread (or make it in advance: it stores well!). If using store bought bread, warm the bread before serving in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes until pliable.
- Make the sauce: either Quick Cucumber Sauce, Cilantro Sauce, or Tahini Sauce.
- Chop the tomatoes, lettuce, and red onion.
- Slather the bottom of the pita with hummus or some of the sauce, then add the falafel, chopped vegetables, and chopped herbs. Liberally spoon over the sauce.
FALAFEL WITH TAHINI SAUCE
Provided by Emeril Lagasse
Categories appetizer
Time 1h25m
Yield about 2 1/2 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 19
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.
FALAFEL WITH TAHINI SAUCE
Falafel, usually tucked into pita bread with lettuce, tomato, and tahini sauce, is one of the best-known Middle Eastern street foods. At home, falafels make a rustic hot hors d'oeuvre, with a bowl of creamy tahini sauce for dipping. These fry up just right: crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. The baking powder gives the falafels a little lift so they don't sit in your stomach like belly bombs! All the fresh herbs make for a vibrant flavor and super green color. The chickpeas need to soak for a bit, so plan accordingly. The falafels are amazing with Quick Pickled Vegetables (page 235).
Yield makes about 2 dozen falafels
Number Of Ingredients 19
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.
FALAFEL WITH TAHINI SAUCE
Serve this traditional falafel from Michael's Genuine Food & Drink chef Michael Schwartz tucked inside pita bread for a satisfying sandwich or on its own as a protein-packed appetizer.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Yield Makes about 2 dozen falafels
Number Of Ingredients 14
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.
Tips:
- Use dried chickpeas for the best flavor and texture. Soak them overnight before cooking.
- If you don't have time to soak the chickpeas overnight, you can quick-soak them by boiling them for 1 minute, then removing them from the heat and letting them sit for 1 hour.
- To make sure your falafel is crispy, make sure the oil is hot enough before frying. The ideal temperature is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when frying the falafel. This will cause the oil temperature to drop and the falafel will not cook evenly.
- Serve the falafel sandwich immediately with your favorite toppings, such as tahini sauce, hummus, and fresh vegetables.
Conclusion:
This falafel sandwich with spicy tahini sauce is a delicious and satisfying meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner. It is packed with flavor and protein, and it is also a good source of fiber and vitamins. The spicy tahini sauce adds a nice kick of heat, and the fresh vegetables add a refreshing crunch. This sandwich is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love