Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Name: Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup chickpeas, dried, soaked and drained; 1/4 onion, chopped; 2 garlic, cloves; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp flour; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup tahini sauce; 1/4 cup diced tomato, cucumber, and lettuce; 4 mini pita breads

Crispy chickpea falafel served with creamy tahini sauce, fresh veggies, and pita. A Middle Eastern vegetarian favorite.

35 minMediumServes 4350 cal/serving

Middle EasternLunchStovetopVeganVegetarianHigh FiberHalal-friendlyDairy-FreeEgg-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas, dried, soaked and drained
1/4 onion, chopped
2 garlic, cloves
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup tahini sauce
1/4 cup diced tomato, cucumber, and lettuce
4 mini pita breads

Instructions

1

In a food processor, add 1 cup dried, soaked and drained chickpeas.
2

Add 1/4 chopped onion and 2 cloves garlic to the processor.
3

Add 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
4

Add 2 tbsp flour to help bind the mixture.
5

Pulse the mixture until it forms a coarse paste, scraping down the sides as needed. The texture should be rough, not smooth.
6

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
7

Form the mixture into small balls (about 1.5 inches in diameter) and then flatten slightly into patties.
8

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
9

Fry the falafel patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
10

Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
11

Warm 4 mini pita breads according to package instructions.
12

To serve, place falafel in pita pockets, drizzle with 1/4 cup tahini sauce, and add 1/4 cup diced tomato, cucumber, and lettuce.
13

Serve immediately while the falafel is still warm and crispy.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Middle Eastern Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

How long does Falafel with Tahini Sauce take?

As written, 35 minutes: 20 of prep and 15 of cooking. The longest single stretch is the hands-off wait in step 6, 30 minutes.

What can I use instead of tahini in Falafel with Tahini Sauce?

The entry for Falafel with Tahini Sauce calls for 1/4 cup tahini sauce. In its place: Unsweetened sunflower seed butter or cashew butter is the closest. Smooth natural peanut butter works where its flavor will not fight the dish.

Does Falafel with Tahini Sauce contain sesame?

Yes: 1/4 cup tahini sauce. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten and sesame. Seeds used as a garnish can simply be left off; the oil has no true substitute. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

How many calories are in Falafel with Tahini Sauce?

One serving (the recipe makes 4) is about 350 calories, with 12 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate and 14 g fat, plus 6 g fiber and 320 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Which part of Falafel with Tahini Sauce can be done ahead?

Everything up to step 6. Step 6 is a built-in pause of 30 minutes: "Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle." Do everything up to that point ahead of time and pick up at step 7 when you are ready to finish.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.