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Falafel Sandwich

Sandwiches, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern chick pea patty. Falafel is stuffed in pita bread with salad and sauce.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4.

FalafelIngredients:

Falafel

  • 1 cup dried chick peas (garbanzo, kabli chana)
  • 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 green chili
  • About 1/4 inch piece of ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour (plain flour, maida)
  • Also need oil to fry

Tahini Sauce

  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • About 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • About 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 green chili adjust to taste
  • About 1/4 cup water use as needed

Also Need

  • 2 cups of thinly sliced lettuce
  • 2 medium size chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  • 4 pocket pita bread

Method

Tahini Sauce

  1. In a small frying pan dry roast the sesame seeds on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
  2. mix all the ingredients and blend to make a pourable paste use water as needed
  3. Keep it aside.

Falafel

  1. Soak the chickpeas in 4 cups of water over night. After soaking chickpeas will be about 2 and half time in volume.
  2. In pressure cooker add chickpeas with the 3 cups of water. Close the cooker and put the pressure on.
  3. Cook on medium high heat.
  4. As pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 4 minutes.
  5. Close the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker. Chickpeas should be just tender not very soft.
  6. Drain the water and let it cool; combine all the ingredients for falafel grind using food processor, mixture should be grainy. If needed add few spoons of water.
  7. Divide the mixture in 24 equal parts or make them as desired size patties.
  8. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
  9. The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put small piece of dough in oil. The dough should come up but not change color right away.
  10. Slowly drop the falafel patties in the oil and fry until they are brown in color both sides. It should take about 5-6 minutes to cook each batch.
  11. Keep the patties aside.

Serving suggestion

  1. Take pita bread and heat over the skillet on medium high heat both sides lightly.
  2. Slice the pita bread from center in half take one part and open from center looking like a pocket.
  3. Fill the pita pocket with chopped lettuce so it 1/3 full. Next add some chopped tomatoes and cucumber.
  4. Pour about one tablespoon of tahini sauce, 3 to 4 pieces of falafel and again tahini sauce.
  5. It’s best to serve the sandwich with hot falafels. Falafels can be easily re-heated before serving using an oven or toaster oven.

Variation

Serve the falafel over green salad use the tahini sauce as a dressing.

Originally posted 2010-05-19 22:35:11.


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64 thoughts on “Falafel Sandwich”

  2. I used the canned chick peas and made the falafel for the second time today following my favourite Manjula Aunty’s recipe. The falafel looks great and TASTES great and the chutney, sorry Tahini sauce is so much more delicious than last time. I used lime instead today, kya khatti chutney, just yummmmy.
    Thanks Manjula aunty, without you, recipes without onion and garlic are very Durlabh. I do love you. please keep making videos.

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  4. Hi Manjula Aunty,
    Quick question, can i prepare the mixutre a day or two ahead and just fry when i need it? also if i were to add onions to it will it get more soggy before frying?

    Thanks

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    1. Mayuri, you need the flour to help everything stick together for cooking the falafel.

      Yes, the chikckpeas MUST be cooked first. Please see the instructions #1 to 5 under the heading “Falafel”.

    1. JJ, chickpea flour has a flavor of its own that might not taste right with some dishes. It depends on the recipe you’re thinking of substituting it in.

  19. Made this for my husband a few weeks ago and he said it was better than the restaurant we have been going to for falafel sandwiches. We will only make this at home now.

    Thank you for all your great recipes!

    Fran

  20. Hi aunty…just a quick question…can i store this falafel batter over time or need to use it at one go only ? and if can store for later use, then in the refrigerator or the freezer ? thanks so much… 🙂

  21. Hello,

    I love your chole recipe. I tried it and my family loved it. So, keep showing us (not so good cook’s) how to cook good Indian food. It would be great if you can post some Indo-Chinese recipe’s. Thanks.

  22. Hello Manjula Aunty I like and love ur all receipes they just amazing and so wonderful. please will u teach us to make chakri (mrukku) the gujrathi snack

  23. hey aunty ! yummy recipes. have a question for you… can we use can chickpeas ? so i don’t have to boil them and all or they need to b harder consistency ?

    ThankQ

    2. The chickpeas from a can should be soft enough. Just rinse off the liquid they soak in while in the can before using. I use canned chickpeas often to save the time of soaking and cooking. If you are in the US, I like Progresso brand a lot.

  24. Hello Aunty,

    I have been following your all the recipes and love them as i try making most of them.

    CAn you give some sandwich options for lunh for high school going kids .

    Thanks

  27. manjula aunty……all your videos are mouthwatering. I love falafal. I love the way you make it & explain it. I have became your great fanatic !!!

  29. Hello Aunty,
    Delicious recipe ..
    Just one question.
    Can we bake the falafel’s instead of frying ?
    Can I use corn flour instead of maida ?
    Waiting for ur reply to try it out soon.
    Thanks in advance

      1. Hello Aunty,
        I tried shallow frying ..but they were drying up too much..
        Patties itself was very dry but when assembled as Falafel it was yummy..
        Next time will try the fried version

  30. Hello Manjulaji,
    Please let me know if you have published any of your recipe book? i would love to gift it to my sister who wants to learn cooking 🙂

  31. I made this for the first time about 2 weeks ago. It was such a hit my husband has asked for it almost every other day since. Tonight will be the 3rd time I’m making this delicious dish.
    By far one of our favorite dishes of yours Manjula, and that’s saying something. I use your recipes a lot.
    Thanks for helping those of us who live in the “sticks” still get our Indian food fix. Even if we must cook it ourselves.
    You’re the best!!

  33. Hi

    I am from the middle east and i like all your videos, i have tried many and everyone likes them. I have to say in the middle east we don’t do felafel this way, i do it at home, we soak the chickpeas over night with water and Bicarbonate Soda the next day we drain the water, then we use the mincer machine to mince the chickpeas with the following ingredients: onion, garlic, parsley.
    After you get the minced mix you can divide them into the amounts that you need and freeze the bags for next time.
    Before you fry the felafel you add salt, cumin and some mixed spices as you like, then you add small a pinch of Bicarbonate Soda, mix well leave for 5 min and then shape them with the felafel tool or even use a spoon but you have to press the well.

  36. Ranjani, it depends on where you live. Are you in the US or elsewhere? In the US all American grocery stores sell pita bread or pita pockets (same thing), usually in the bread aisle or the deli section. Middle Eastern grocery stores should have them too.

    1. ranjani where are you? If you’re in the states you can find pita in almost any grocery store. I have used tortilla in place of pita and other flat breads when I haven’t had pita. Basically and flat bread will do- just put on top and fold like a taco.

  42. Hi Aunty,
    I do make Falafal at home, but i have to buy the falafal mix (vada) from store, now i know how to make at home.
    But i also buy from store some kind of sauce which is called ‘falafal sauce’ which test really good. You have to put that sauce first on pita bread and then fill rest of the stuff. If you can please show us how to make that sauce that would be great.

    2. i agree it will tast good but it will not have original tast of falafal, and it will be very heavy for your stomach. You can find so many different kind of pita bread in the regular grocery store, i would prefer wheat pita tast great.

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