Falafel is a Middle Eastern food that can be served as an appetizer or stuffed into a wrap or sandwich. It’s a ball of deep fried chickpeas mixed with spices. And it’s very tasty to eat with Tahini Sauce. Falafel is definitely something that you will want to order if you go to a Middle Eastern restaurant. But it’s easy to show you how to make falafel at home too.
Ingredients needed:
dried chickpeas (do not use canned chickpeas for this recipe) baking soda ice cold water onion garlic parsley cilantro cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and cayenne vegetable oil
How to make Falafel:
Start the day before you want to make these by soaking the chickpeas in water and baking soda for 24 hours. Drain the chickpeas and combine them with onion, garlic and spices in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to break it up. Add fresh parsley and fresh cilantro and process until the mixture begins to come together into a dough (not paste consistency). Transfer this mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for a couple of hours.
Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop to scoop out the falafel dough and roll into balls. Using the scoop will help you maintain the same size falafel. Heat several inches of vegetable or canola oil in a saucepan. Fry the falafel until they are golden brown.
Move the falafel to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the oil. You usually don’t eat falafel by itself. It’s usually served with hummus, tahini sauce and flatbread. You can even serve it with Lebanese Garlic Sauce.
How to make Tahini Sauce:
Now that you know how to make falafel, you can make a very simple tahini sauce to go with it. It’s a simple mix of tahini, minced garlic and salt. Lemon juice is added in, and it will thicken. Ice water is stirred in 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency.
What is Tahini?
Tahini is a Middle Eastern product made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds. In your market, it can most likely be found in your market’s international aisle or near the olives. Ask if you can’t find it… it’s commonly carried at most markets.
How do you serve falafel?
You can serve falafel with a side of the tahini sauce to use for dipping or drizzling on top. Or you can serve it with flatbread or pita to be made into a sandwich or wrap, along with cucumber, tomatoes and onions and tahini sauce as the condiment.
Serve Falafel with Tahini Sauce with more of your favorite Middle Eastern dishes. It’s so delicious. Enjoy!
