5 from 18 votes
Falafel Pita Sandwich With Tahini Sauce
The Falafel Pita Sandwich combines spiced chickpea-based falafel patties with fresh salad ingredients and creamy tahini sauce, served inside soft pita bread. The falafel mixture includes herbs and spices and is blended to a coarse texture before frying. The sandwich is complemented by a salad of sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and onion dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice, adding freshness and crunch.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Servings:
4
Course:
Breakfast, Lunch
Cuisine:
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Ingredients
Falafel mixture (or use shop-bought falafel)
- 1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight in plenty of water, dried
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 cup fresh herbs a mix of parsley, cilantro and mint, roughly chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped, medium
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- cooking oil for frying
Falafel salad mix
- ½ red onion thinly sliced and placed in a bowl of water
- ½ cucumber sliced into half-moon shapes, English variety
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- parsley chopped, fresh bunch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
To serve falafel pita sandwich
- 4 pita bread or whole-wheat pita
- ½ cup hummus or store-bought hummus, creamy; lemon
- ½ cup tahini sauce
- zhoug or hot sauce; optional
Instructions
- You can make the tahini sauce, hummus and zhoug up to three days in advance. Or use good quality store-bought versions.
Cup of Yum
Make the falafel mixture
- Drain the soaked chickpeas in a colander or fine mesh strainer and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
- Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz for 15 seconds and scrape down the sides.
- Add the chopped herbs, onion and garlic. Blitz for another 30 seconds or so – scrape down the sides as necessary. The falafel mixture should be well combined and damp with a coarse texture. It should hold together when shaped.
- Transfer the chickpea mixture to a large mixing bowl or airtight container and add the spices and salt. Mix it well. Then, sprinkle over the baking soda and give it a final mix. Cover the falafel mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to 24 hours) while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Prep the falafel salad
- Drain the onion and mix it with the cucumber, tomatoes, chopped herbs, olive oil and lemon juice. Add half a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
Shape the falafel
- Divide the falafel mix into 24 even-sized small portions (about a heaped tablespoon).
- Roll each portion of the falafel mix into a ball. Then gently flatten the ball into a thick rounded pattie. Use wet fingers to round any burst edges.
Cook the falafel
- Fill a deep, heavy-based medium saucepan with enough oil to rise about 2½ inches (7 cm) up the side. And place the pan on medium heat to bring the oil to 350 °F.
- Gently lower the falafel into the hot oil in batches – I do 6 to 8 falafel per batch. Cook the falafel patties for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked falafel to a bowl lined with kitchen paper.
Assemble the falafel pita sandwiches
- I like to heat the pita bread in the oven for 2 minutes at 350 °F, but you can skip this if the pita is super fresh.
- Cut each warm pita in half. Spread hummus inside the pita pocket and add some salad. Place 2 to 3 small falafel patties inside each half-pita pocket and top with tahini sauce and zhoug (or hot sauce).
Notes
- Prepare tahini sauce, hummus, and zhoug up to three days in advance for convenience.
- Small falafel patties are easier to fit into narrow pita pockets than larger shapes.
- Falafel can be shaped into balls or bullet shapes according to preference.
- Allow cooked falafel to cool to room temperature before assembling if not serving immediately.