Falafel Pita with Market Vegetables

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor
• •Heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet for frying
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the chickpeas

   The night before, cover dried chickpeas with several inches of cold water. They will double in size, so use a generous bowl. Let them soak for at least twelve hours, or up to twenty-four. This is not optional. Canned chickpeas contain too much moisture and will fall apart in the fryer. Dried chickpeas, properly soaked, give you that shatteringly crisp exterior and tender, herb-flecked interior that makes real falafel worth the wait.

   Taste a soaked chickpea. It should be firm but not hard, with a raw, starchy flavor. If it crunches, soak longer.
2. 2

   Prepare the falafel mixture

   Drain the chickpeas thoroughly and pat them dry. Add them to a food processor with the onion, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Pulse until you have a coarse, sandy texture, scraping down the sides often. The mixture should hold together when pressed but not be a paste. You want to see flecks of green throughout.

3. 3

   Season and rest

   Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to overnight. This rest allows the flavors to marry and the mixture to firm up, making it easier to shape. Just before frying, stir in the baking powder and flour.

   The baking powder goes in at the last moment. It reacts with moisture immediately, and you want that lift to happen in the hot oil.
4. 4

   Make the tahini sauce

   Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, and minced garlic in a small bowl. The mixture will seize and thicken. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly, until you have a pourable sauce about the consistency of heavy cream. Season with a pinch of salt. Taste it. The sauce should be bright from the lemon, nutty from the tahini, and just savory enough. Set aside.

5. 5

   Shape the falafel

   Scoop about two tablespoons of the mixture and press firmly between your palms to form a thick patty, about two inches across and half an inch thick. A slight crack around the edges is normal. Set the patties on a parchment-lined tray. You should have about sixteen.

   If the mixture crumbles, add another tablespoon of flour. If it feels too wet, refrigerate for thirty more minutes.
6. 6

   Fry until deeply golden

   Heat two inches of oil in a heavy pot or deep skillet to 350F. Fry the falafel in batches of four or five, turning once, until they are a deep golden brown on all sides, about three to four minutes total. The color should remind you of a well-toasted hazelnut. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan, not paper towels, which trap steam and soften the crust.

   Test one first. If it falls apart in the oil, the mixture is too wet. Add more flour and try again.
7. 7

   Warm the pita

   While the falafel fry, warm your pita breads directly over a gas flame for about thirty seconds per side, or in a dry skillet until pliable and fragrant. Good pita should puff and develop a few char spots. It should smell like bread, not plastic.

8. 8

   Assemble with care

   Cut each pita in half to form pockets, or leave whole and fold around the filling. Line with greens. Add three or four falafel, pressing gently to crack them open slightly. Tuck in tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled vegetables. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce. Eat immediately, standing over the sink if necessary. This is honest food that does not wait.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out dried chickpeas from a store with high turnover. Old chickpeas take longer to hydrate and never achieve the right texture. A Middle Eastern grocery is your best source.
• •The herbs should be truly fresh, with stems that snap and leaves that smell intensely green. Tired herbs produce tired falafel.
• •If tomatoes are out of season, do not use pale winter specimens. Substitute shredded cabbage dressed with lemon and sumac, or roasted beets sliced thin.
• •Leftover falafel reheat beautifully in a 400F oven for eight to ten minutes. The microwave will make them leathery.
• •Save your frying oil. Strain it through cheesecloth and store it in the refrigerator for up to a month. It will carry a hint of cumin into your next batch.

Advance Preparation

• •The falafel mixture can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated. Add baking powder and flour just before frying.
• •Tahini sauce keeps refrigerated for up to one week. It will thicken as it sits. Stir in cold water to loosen.
• •Shaped, uncooked falafel can be frozen on a sheet pan, then transferred to a freezer bag for up to two months. Fry directly from frozen, adding one minute to the cooking time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)