You won’t feel awful about eating this falafel! Falafel was originally created by the Egyptians as a replacement for meat during Lent. Falafel is a staple and common street food in the Middle East. It is usually served stuffed into pita bread with hummus and/or tzatziki.
Falafel has basically the same ingredients as hummus, the main difference is that the falafel isn’t blended as much as hummus. Try experimenting with adding other ingredients like bell peppers or zucchini.
Eat them as a snack, side dish or even as a main course, since they provide a punch of protein and carbohydrate. This recipe makes about 15 falafel patties, so freeze them if you have leftovers. They thaw perfectly!
Falafel with Tahini Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
For the falafel:
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 19 oz/540 ml can rinsed and drained chickpeas)
3 shallots, or 1 white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup whole wheat flour (plus extra if needed)
1 tsp baking powder
grapeseed oil, for frying
For the Tahini Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
Put the chickpeas, shallots/onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until just combined (still chunky).
Add the flour and baking powder and pulse until mixture is still chunky and can be rolled into balls without it sticking to your hands. (Add another spoonful or so of flour if you need to).
With your hands, roll the mixture into golf ball-sized balls and flatten into patties.
Heat 1-2 tbsp of grapeseed oil in a large frying pan. Cook the falafel patties for a few minutes per side without crowding the pan, until they're nicely golden. Add more oil as needed. (I do 2 or 3 separate batches in the pan).
Mix all ingredients together for the tahini yogurt sauce.
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Carolyn Berry
Welcome! I’m Carolyn, a Vancouver based registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, marathon runner and foodie. My passion is creating simple and nourishing recipes to share with you! I hope you enjoy looking around.
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