FALAFEL SANDWICH
Cafe Flora
1 1/2 cups dreid chickpeas, soaked for 3 to 8 hours, or 2 (15-ounce) cans (3 1/2 cups cooked)
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup whole wheat or all-purpose white flour
8 pitas, flat or pocket style
Vegetable oil for frying falafel (I use grapeseed)
Shredded lettuce, tomato slices, alfalfa sprouts, radishes and cucumber slices
Tahini Sauce (see below)
cook the chickpeas
If you're using dried chickpeas, drain them, and cover with fresh water in a pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook, covered, at a gentle simmer until the chickpeas are very tender, 1 hour or more (depending on how dry (and old) the beans were). A chickpea should smash easily between your thumb and index finger. Drain the chickpeas, and cool completely.
chop the vegetables
Put the onion, celery, and garlic in a food processor, and pulse several times until they are very finely chopped. (Pulsing minces the vegetables but prevents them from becoming pureed.) Put them into a large mixing bowl.
chop the chickpeas
Put the cooled chickpeas in the food processor, and pulse several times, until they're broken up. Then, run the food processor until the chickpeas are very finely chopped. (You use this two-step process to get an even consistency.) Put the chickpeas in the large bowl with the vegetables, and mix well.
add the remaining ingredients
Mix in the lemon juice, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, salt and parsley to the chickpea vegetable mixture. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and flour over all, and mix thoroughly with your hands.
shape the falafel
Using 2 tablespoons of the chickpea mixture, shape it into balls. It should hold together easily. Gently flatten the balls with your fingertips into patties about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Smooth out the jagged edges to they don't break off when you cook them. Lay them on an ungreased baking sheet until you're ready to fry them.
test fry a falafel first
Pour oil into a heavy pot to a depth of 2 inches. (Make sure the pot is at least 4 inches tall to reduce spattering.) When the oil reaches 350 to 360 degrees, gently drop sample falafel into the hot oil. It should sizzle a lot and cook fast. Only cook a few at a time so that temperature of the oil doesn't drop.
note
I make the falafel mixture a day ahead and usually double the recipe. Delish!
TAHINI SAUCE
Cafe Flora
1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon tamari
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. If it's too thick, just dribble in more water until you get the consistency you want.
TZATZIKI
1/2 cucumber
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 mint leaves
1 small garlic clove, minced
whole milk (Greek) yogurt
pepper, to taste
Grate the cucumber, salt and drain juice. Wash and dry the mint leaves. Stack them, roll them up and mince them. Mix all the ingredients together, season generously adding yogurt gradually until you get the flavor you want.
