Falafel Pita
A warm pita filled with hot falafel and cool tzatziki, spicy schug, cucumbers, tomato, red onion, Kalamata olives and feta cheese. A great vegetarian option
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 827kcal
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- deep fryer or deep pan
Ingredients
Falafel
- 64 oz chickpeas drained well
- 1 small onion small dice
- 1 cup cilantro rough chop
- 1 cup parsley rough chop
- 6 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 1½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
Schug Sauce
- ½ teaspoon caraway seed toasted
- 1½ cups cilantro rough chop
- 1 cup parsley rough chop
- 5 fresh jalapenos large chop
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- ½ cup olive oil
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1.5 cups plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup English cucumber diced
- ½ cup English cucumber shredded, drained well
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill rough chop
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Pita and Toppings
- 6 pieces pita bread
- 2 vine ripe tomatoes sliced into halfmoons
- ¼ red onion very thinly sliced
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced into circles
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives
Instructions
Making the Falafel
- Add all falafel ingredients to a food processor except the baking powder and flour. Blend until almost pureed but still a little chunky
- Turn that mixture out into a large mixing bowl then add the baking powder and flour. Mix very well
- Roll the falafel mix into balls then set them on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and set them aside until needed
- When ready to fry the falafel turn on the the deep fryer to 350°F. Alternatively, you can heat 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy bottomed tall pot to 350°F
- Carefully place the falafel in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes
- Remove from the oil and set on a plate lined with 4-5 paper towels to soak up the oil
Make Schug
- Add all schug ingredients to food processor then blend on low until you have a chunky and consistent texture resembling a sauce. Taste for salt level and adjust if needed
Make the Tzatziki Sauce
- While the falafel is cooking, make the tzatziki
- Stack 4 paper towels on top of each other. Shred the ½ cup cucumber onto the paper towels
- Fold the paper towels around the shredded cucumber and squeeze as much liquid out as you can get
- Whisk all tzatziki ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. Set aside until needed
Building the Falafel Pita
- While the oil is draining from the falafel, warm the pita bread
- Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and spray with non stick cooking spray. Heat the pita for 30 seconds per side or until warm
- Smear each pita with schug and tzatziki then add 2-3 pieces of falafel
- Top with tomato, red onion, cucumber, olives and feta
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make schug sauce and tzatziki up to 3 days ahead of time.
- After mixing falafel, fry one small test piece in hot oil to make sure it doesn't fall apart. If it does, add 2 more tablespoon flour to mixture then try another test piece. Continue to add flour 2 tablespoon at a time until falafel stays together while frying.
- Warm your pitas before serving for best texture.
- You can air fry the falafel instead of frying them in a pan if you'd like an even healthier version. They are slightly different in texture but still delicious. Brush falafel with a little olive oil. Air fry on 400°F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside and warm in the middle
Nutrition
Calories: 827kcal | Carbohydrates: 134g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 2021mg | Potassium: 1292mg | Fiber: 26g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 1664IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 466mg | Iron: 12mg
