| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 28 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 8 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 28 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 8 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
- 3 to 4 tablespoons, plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with a fork
- Salt and pepper
- 3 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- 3 good quality pita breads, cut in 1/2
- Sesame Mint Yogurt Sauce, recipe follows
- 1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, preferably Greek-style
- 1 bunch mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, 3 to 4 tablespoons flour, herbs, garlic, cumin, cayenne, egg, and salt and pepper; pulse together until almost smooth. Transfer mixture to bowl. The mixture should be firm enough to form balls; if not, add additional flour as needed. Shape mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Toss in remaining 1/2 cup flour to coat all over. Set aside until oil is hot enough to fry.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat until about 375 degrees F. Test with some extra falafel mix to see if the temperature is right; it should sink and rise to the surface and float. Add falafel balls in batches so as not to crowd them and cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes. Carefully remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Fill pita halves with a few falafel balls, cucumber, lettuce, onions and peppers, and top with yogurt sauce.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 957 |
| Total Fat | 73 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 14 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg |
| Sodium | 1131 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 957 |
| Total Fat | 73 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 14 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg |
| Sodium | 1131 mg |
Reviews
My husband has never had Falafels before but saw them on a cooking show and asked that I make them and now he’s hooked! Loved the recipe and I made my own Pita bread, which really sealed the deal.
It is fine tasty easy one. It did not take much time but yet we all loved it. The sauce is easy yummy too. I Recommended to middle eastern food lovers.
The falafel recipe is the best I have ever tried to make from scratch. I even baked them and they turned out crispy and just as good as fried. For the sauce, I used non fat Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley.
The falafel was OK but the sauce was heavy on the lemon.
Not so good to me and I am a vegetarian who likes falafels
My family loved this! It was fun to make, new and interesting. I highly recommend this. I don’t eat meat I was so happy to find this recipe. I made the yogurt sauce with sour cream (didn’t have yogurt) and it was a fine substitution.
I like the recipe- simple and quick. I would like for it to have a little bit more spice but otherwise i enjoyed making it.
It was really good, and easier than I thought. The sauce was not a traditional Tehini sauce for falafel, but good just the same. We really liked the recipie and will make it again.
I absolutely loved this recipe! Easy to make and packed with flavor. I will definitely make this for my picky friends during our Sunday night “family dinner.”