To me, a really good falafel has a crispy on-the-outside and moist-light texture on the inside. Falafel are a Middle Eastern specialty of savory fried chickpeas generously seasoned with garlic, herbs and spices. This classic street food is hard to beat when done right. I’ve been tweaking this for awhile and figured out just the right ratios to keep the patty light and fluffy without falling apart when cooked. I made a simple cucumber-yogurt sauce with dill and we had zero falafels left at the end of dinner.
Make this for your next Meatless Monday!
Meatless Monday—Falafel With Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
Scale
- For Cucumber Yogurt Sauce:
- 12 ounces Greek Yogurt
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 Tbls. fresh dill, minced
- 2 Tbls. lemon juice
- 1 Tbls. mayonaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For Falafel:
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbls. cumin
- 1 tsp. corriander
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbls. olive oil
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- Canola oil for frying
- To Assemble:
- Pita bread
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and mix well. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Next, slice cherry tomatoes in half and place in a bowl. Add feta. Salt and pepper to taste and add Olive oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty.
- In a blender, process onion, parsley, cilantro, and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.
- In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, baking powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Add bread crumbs and mix thoroughly.
- Form 8 balls and then flatten into 2-inch thick patties.
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties in hot oil, 3-5 minutes per side. Flip carefully as falafels are delicate.
- To serve, place falafel, pita, tomato/feta mix, and cucumber yogurt sauce on plate.
Leave a Reply