Name: Baked Green Falafel Pita Sandwich
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: middle eastern
Ingredients: Pita Bread Sandwiches:; pita bread or gluten-free flat bread wraps (I used this whole wheat recipe from As Easy As Apple Pie); baked green falafel; lettuce or spinach leaves; thinly sliced tomatoes; thinly sliced English cucumber; thinly sliced red onion, optional; cucumber dill sauce (recipe below) or tahini to drizzle; 1 cup uncooked, dried chickpeas, soaked in purified water overnight and drained; 4 garlic cloves; 1 medium onion; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small bunch cilantro, rinsed and dried; 1 small bunch parsley, rinsed and dried; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; pinch of ground coriander; pinch of black pepper; 1/2 cup mayonnaise or plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt (vegan mayo works well!); 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 1/4 cup finely shredded cucumber, liquid strained; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1-2 teaspoons honey, to taste; 1-2 teaspoons dried dill, to taste; salt and pepper, to taste

Description

Baked green falafel from Ksenia—At the Immigrant’s Table’s new e-book, Middle Eastern Small Plates. I used them to make a delicious pita pocket sandwich!

Ingredients

Scale

Pita Bread Sandwiches:
pita bread or gluten-free flat bread wraps (I used this whole wheat recipe from As Easy As Apple Pie)
baked green falafel
lettuce or spinach leaves
thinly sliced tomatoes
thinly sliced English cucumber
thinly sliced red onion, optional
cucumber dill sauce (recipe below) or tahini to drizzle

Baked Green Falafel: (From Ksenia’s Middle Eastern Small Plates e-book.)

1 cup uncooked, dried chickpeas, soaked in purified water overnight and drained
4 garlic cloves
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small bunch cilantro, rinsed and dried
1 small bunch parsley, rinsed and dried
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of ground coriander
pinch of black pepper

Dairy-Free Cucumber Dill Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise or plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt (vegan mayo works well!)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely shredded cucumber, liquid strained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1–2 teaspoons honey, to taste
1–2 teaspoons dried dill, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Baked Green Falafel:

Place drained, pre-soaked chickpeas, along with remaining ingredients, into a food processor and blend until mixture is well combined and chickpeas are finely ground. Shape into balls. Mine used about 2-3 tablespoons worth of mixture each. (Ksenia recommends refrigerating the raw falafel for two hours, but because of time I immediately baked them and they seemed to be fine. If you have the time though go ahead and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place falafel onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, flatten slightly, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Flip and bake 5-10 minutes longer, until lightly brown.

Cucumber Dill Sauce:

Into a small bowl, combine mayo, cilantro, strained cucumber, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of dill. Mix until well combined. Taste and add additional honey and dill, if needed, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until needed. Can also be made ahead.

Pita Sandwiches:

You can slice your pita in half to make a pocket or fold the pita like a taco. I made fresh pita bread, but if you’re using store bought, you can warm the pita in a 350ºF oven for 5 or so minutes.
Place a few lettuce leaves, 2-3 falafel balls, some cucumber, red onion, and tomato slices into each pocket and drizzle with cucumber dill sauce. Serve immediately.

Cook Time: 20 mins
Category: vegetarian, gluten free
Cuisine: middle eastern