Homemade Falafel with Tahini Sauce

 

Ingredients

For the falafel:

• 2 cups roughly chopped white onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
• 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Canola oil, for sauteing
• Pita bread, for serving

For the tahini sauce:

• 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt (full fat or non-fat)
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 

Instructions

Add  the onion and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor and pulse  just until they are finely minced. Remove the mixture and press it  through a strainer to release as much liquid as possible then set it  aside.

Add  the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, salt, chili powder, and cumin to the  bowl of the food processor and pulse until they are roughly blended but  not pureed.

Return  the onion mixture to the food processor, along with the baking powder  and just enough flour so that when you pulse the processor, the mixture  begins to form a small ball and is not sticky. (Note: Start by adding ¼  cup of flour, and then the remaining ¼ cup. You can add more if the  mixture is still too wet.)

Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.

While  the falafel mixture is chilling, prepare the tahini sauce by whisking  together the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice. Season it with salt and  pepper, cover it and place it in the fridge.

Once  the falafel mixture has chilled, use a small ice cream scoop or spoons  to form the mixture into balls (roughly 3 Tablespoons per ball) then  flatten them slightly so they are the shape of patties. (Note: You can  also add additional flour at this point, if the mixture is too wet to  scoop.)  

Set  a large sauté pan over medium heat and add a liberal amount of canola  oil so that the pan is well-coated. Let the pan pre-heat for 3 minutes  then add the falafel one by one, browning them on the first side for 3  minutes, then flipping them once and browning the second side until the  mixture is cooked throughout.

Transfer  the falafel to a paper towel-lined cooling rack and immediately season  them with salt. Repeat this process until you have cooked all of the  falafel.

Place three or four falafel inside a halved, warmed pita and drizzle with the prepared tahini sauce.

by Kelly Senyei

https://www.justataste.com/homemade-falafel-with-tahini-sauce/