Falafel on Home-made Pita
with Fresh Veggies and Sesame Mint Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
• 2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons, plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with a fork
• Salt and pepper
• vegetable oil, for frying
• pita breads, cut in 1/2 OR my recipe follows
Sesame Mint Yogurt Sauce, recipe follows
Veggies:
• 1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces (or regular cuke, cut in half and removed seeds by running a spoon down the center to scrape out the seeds and excess liquid)
• 4-6 green onions, chopped, green and whites, OR 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, seeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2-4 tomatoes (depending on size, roma or beefsteak!), cut in half and squeezed to remove seeds and liquid, then chop into bite-sized pieces
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Set aside.
Sesame Mint Yogurt Sauce:
• 2 cups plain yogurt, Greek-style or a 16 oz of regular plain yogurt drained in a colander lined with paper towel--suspend over a bowl. Let drain for several hours, throw out liquid.
• 1 bunch mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Directions for Falafel
In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, 3 to 4 tablespoons flour, herbs, garlic, cumin, cayenne, egg, and salt and pepper; pulse together until almost smooth. Transfer mixture to bowl. The mixture should be firm enough to form balls; if not, add additional flour as needed. Shape mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter, and slightly flatten. Dredge in remaining 1/2 cup flour to coat all over. Set aside until oil is hot enough to fry.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until about 375 degrees F. Add falafel in batches so as not to crowd them and cook until crisp and golden, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Carefully remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Fill pita halves (my pita is soft, so we prefer to take a round and put the falafel and topping on and fold in half) with a few falafel balls, veggies, and top with yogurt sauce.
Ok, making your own pita is so easy, and it SO much better than that dried out stuff from the grocery! Please give this a try! You won't regret it.
Whole Wheat Pita
Makes 6 pita rounds
You'll need a baking stone (mine are from pampered chef and I love them)
Bread machine on dough setting or mixer.
If you have a bread machine, Add:
2 T vegetable oil
1 C plus 2 T of water
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 1/4 C white flour, unbleached preferably
2 C whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast (I like red star active dry yeast)
Optional: 1 tsp of dried herbs--rosemary, dill or thyme...my kids like granulated garlic..or a mix of these. I make the pita plain for the falafel, but if using rotisserie chicken and tzatkiki sauce I like the herbs in it.
Directions
Use the dough setting, when complete...remove and knead, cover with a clean towel and let rest for 30 minutes. (If using a mixer, combine the yeast water and veg oil, let stand about 10 minutes, then add the salt and flours (herbs if using) to make a smooth dough, let rise for an hour to an hour and a half, then punch down and let rest for 30 minutes.)
Preheat oven to 450 with your baking stone in the oven. Then divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll out to make a 6-inch circle. Place a few in the oven on the stone and let bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks, repeat until all are baked. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain yogurt (or take a shortcut and buy greek style to start with)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
Place the yogurt in a colander lined with a paper towel--suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros or a dip with toasted pita bread. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
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