Falafel with Yogurt-Herb Sauce

It had been a while since I made falafel at home, and when Stonefire sent me some pita and flatbread to sample, I figured it was high time to get back to falafel-ing.

I’ve revised the recipe a bit, since I do things a little differently from the original recipe. In doing so, I noticed that Just Braise is no longer online! I’m not sure what happened, but I want to make sure that the author knows that this recipe helped me find my love for falafel! So much so, that I can’t order it out anywhere, because it’s just not as good.

Forming the falafel takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, it will become second nature. You need to press somewhat firmly so that the discs hold together when fried, but not so hard that they squish all over the place. Don’t let it scare you!

I didn’t get mine quite as crispy on the outside as my husband likes this time around, because I’m a total wimp when it comes to getting oil hot enough. And the time he convinced me to deep-fry them… let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.

Something new this time around was the pita bread that I used. Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads sent me some samples to try out, and let me tell you – my husband and I were both majorly impressed! We  sampled both the Original and Whole Grain Pita, and both were wonderful. They smelled awesome as soon as I opened the packages, and they really were nice and fluffy.

I hadn’t previously tried this brand, and I’m really glad that I was able to. I’m going to keep an eye out for it at my local supermarket now, because I’ve never been too thrilled with the other brands I’ve tried. This pita was hearty enough to hold lots of falafel, sauces and toppings without tearing, which was a pleasant surprise!

Stonefire is a family owned company that’s been baking up pita bread, naan and flatbread for over 40 years. They don’t use any artificial preservatives, flavors or colors in their products, and offer both traditional and whole grain options. That means when you buy their products, you need to use them quickly, or go ahead and stash them in the freezer for later use. The freshness makes a huge difference!

I already have some ideas for using the naan and flatbread that is now in my freezer. Stay tuned!

Falafel with Yogurt-Herb Sauce

• Yield: 6-8 pieces

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Ingredients

For Yogurt-Herb Sauce:

• 6 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt

For Falafel:

• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), washed and drained
• 1/4 cup loosely chopped parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons red onion
• 1/4 cup flour* (set aside 2 tablespoons on plate for coating finished falafel balls)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil

For serving:

• Pita or flatbread*
• Sliced tomato
• Tahini
• Thinly sliced red onion
• Sriracha

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Instructions

1. To make Yogurt-Herb Sauce, mix ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Begin heating vegetable oil on high heat in a deep sauce pan (oil should come about 1 inch up the side of the pan).
3. Place remaining ingredients (minus 2 tablespoons of flour) into a food processor or blender. Process until fairly even consistency is reached, leaving some larger chickpea chunks, if desired.
4. Form golf ball sized balls of batter, and flatten slightly. Coat lightly in remaining flour.
5. Add falafel discs to oil when hot and fry about 4 minutes, until golden on all sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil.
6. Serve falafel warm, wrapped in pita or other flat bread. Top with Yogurt-Herb Sauce, tomato, tahini, red onion and Sriracha, if desired.

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Notes

Recipe from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen – Ashley Covelli (Adapted from Just Braise)

*Optional: use Gluten Free

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*Note: I received promotional items to try out, but was in no other way compensated. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. If you have a product that you feel would be of interest to myself and my readers, you can submit information for review via my contact page.