Photo: Baked Felafel Sandwiches Recipe
Ingredients
Felafel:
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Tahini Sauce:
- 1/2 cup pure tahini paste (sesame paste) (available at Middle Eastern stores)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water, plus more if necessary
Salad:
- 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 (4-ounce) tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 medium cucumber, seeded, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 whole-wheat pita pocket breads, sliced open
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine all felafel ingredients except 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 10 seconds. Stop motor and scrape down sides of bowl, then pulse for another 10 seconds, until all ingredients are well incorporated but mixture is still slightly coarse and grainy. Form mixture into 16 felafel balls and brush with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes, flip felafel balls and bake an additional 20 minutes, until felafel balls are crisp and browned.
Combine tahini, lemon juice and water and stir to incorporate, adding more water to achieve desired consistency. Reserve.
Toss together lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers in a bowl. Warm pita breads for 2 minutes in oven. Fill each pita with 3/4 cup salad, 4 felafel balls and 1/4 cup tahini sauce.
Per Serving: 1 serving = 1 pita bread, 3/4 salad, 4 felafel balls and 1/4 cup tahini sauce
Calories 550; Total Fat 26 g; (Sat Fat 3.5 g, Mono Fat 11 g, Poly Fat 9 g) ; Protein 19 g; Carb 68 g; Fiber 13 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 705 mg
Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin K, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Zinc
Good source of: Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium
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By tricia_4798664
Atoka, TN
on February 04, 2011
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Will mess around with the basic recipe to get a flavor and consistency that we enjoy.
By hbowman98
Nashua, NH
on December 28, 2010
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These are amazing considering the fact they are baked! I mixed in an egg after the food processor step, and they came out crispy on the outside and still semi-moist on the inside, just like the fried version. I also dressed the pockets with my own homemade tahini, and substituted Goya Recaito (cilantro-based cooking sauce for the cilantro and parsley. I will definitely be making again! Thanks Ellie!
By cblwolf
Ann Arbor, MI
on September 17, 2010
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I can't speak for how this compares to "true" falafel, as I've never ordered them at a restaurant. I'm sure they're good, but they always looked awful to me due to the heavy frying. I love middle eastern flavors and I loved all the ingredients, so I decided to try these. They were delicious! The only change I made was that I didn't have any cilantro, so I did 1/2 cup of parsley. I wasn't able to get 16 balls out of the recipe, but it made 10. It was perfect for me, my husband, and our 3 year old (who also enjoyed the recipe, but not in a pita, just all separated. They were super messy, so next time, I think I'd just serve it as a salad with toasted pita triangles. It would definitely be good with tzatsiki instead of the tahini sauce, but I LOVED the flavor of the sauce on the falafel. By itself, the sauce didn't taste very good, but all together it was great! Great job Ellie!
Read all 23 reviews