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Traditional Chickpea Falafel Pockets
[Vegan]

DG By: Dunja Gulin

Author Bio

Dunja Gulin is a Croatian-based cooking teacher and expert in plant-based nutrition. She is a... Read More

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Traditional Chickpea Falafel Pockets [Vegan]

Makes 24–26 small falafels

Dairy Free

Vegan

Surely you have tasted, or maybe even prepared, one version of this classic falafel recipe. An intensive 24-hour soak makes the chickpeas properly soft, which gives a lovely moist yet light mixture that is easy to digest. From Falafel: Delicious Recipes for Middle Eastern-Style Patties, Plus Sauces, Pickles, Salads, and Breads. Photograph by... Read More

Ingredients You Need for Traditional Chickpea Falafel Pockets [Vegan]

For the Falafel:

1 cup (180 g) dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
2/3 cup (80 g) chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
bunch of fresh parsley, leaves only
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (230 g) oil, for frying

For the Tahini Sauce:

4 tablespoons tahini (see below)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly snipped chives
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
about 1/2 cup (120 ml) oat, rice or almond milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Tahini (Makes about 150 ml/2⁄3 cup):

3 cups (450 g) unhulled sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Serving Suggestion:

4 pita pockets
Tahini Sauce (recipe above)
raw vegetables (such as sliced tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, radishes, parsley, spring onions/scallions)

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How to Prepare Traditional Chickpea Falafel Pockets [Vegan]

Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water for 12 hours. Drain, discarding the water, cover with fresh water and let soak for another 12 hours.
Drain, rinse well and let drain again for another 5 minutes.
It’s best to use a food processor ﬁtted with an ‘S’ blade for blending the falafel mix, even though it can also be done in a good blender, in 2 batches.
First blend the drained chickpeas; the texture should resemble coarse sand. Add all the remaining ingredients (except the frying oil) and blend until you get a paste. Cover with clingﬁlm/plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for 1 hour, or longer.
Roll into walnut-sized balls, wetting your hands once in a while to prevent sticking.
Deep-fry the falafels in hot oil for 4 minutes or until nicely browned. Because we’re using soaked chickpeas, these falafels need to be deep-fried to make them digestible – baking them wouldn’t work.
To make the tahini sauce, mix together the tahini, garlic, chives, lemon juice and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding just enough milk to get a smooth sauce. Refrigerate any leftovers for later use.
Warm the pita pockets, ﬁll with vegetables of your choice, add falafel balls and serve with the tahini sauce. Yum!

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