Falafel with Tzatziki and Tahini Sauce

Falafel is a fried chickpea fritter of sorts that hails from the middle east. It is a vegetarian staple at most Mediterranean restaurants, and is pretty high on my list of favorite foods. My family loves when I make falafel, as I am the only one who ever learned how to make it. So I guess I am the designated falafel maker in my house. If you are still unsure if falafel is for you hear this: My Bacon Loving, Condiment Refusing Best Friend likes it, so it’s at least worth a try right?

I highly recommend a food processor for this recipe. You could use a mortar and pestle, but the motorized route is simply more efficient and delivers the same results. I recommend using dry chickpeas as I think the texture is better, but you can also use well drained canned chickpeas. The spicing is up to you discretion, but I have found that adding turmeric really ups the flavor. I also recommend using fresh herbs because they both add more flavor and help moisten the dough. The recipe requires baking soda in order to keep the falafel soft in the center, and also holds it together. I use chickpea and almond flour to thicken the dough, as I feel like they detract from the flavor less than an all purpose GF flour would.

I serve these bad boys up with some tzatziki, which is a dill heavy cucumber and yogurt sauce (side note: my mom hates cucumber but loves this??). It adds a nice freshness to the crispy fritters. The fritters can be fried or bakes, although they are more prone to drying out in the oven. You may chose to serve your falafel on top of salad or with some pickled veg. It truly is so versatile, and I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

Falafel

• 1 16 oz can chickpeas (or 16 oz soaked chickpeas)
• 1 celery stalk – cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium carrot (or 4-5 baby) -cut into i inch pieces
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/4 green onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. fresh grated turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground corriander
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chickpea flour (or gram flour)

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1/2 cup dairy free yogurt
• 1/2 fresh cucumber or dill pickle (either works)
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dry) – petit diced
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Tahini Sauce

• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. olive or peanut oil
• 3 tbsp. water
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. If using dry chickpeas – soak for at least 8 hours (over night)
2. Place celery, carrots, cilantro, green onion, garlic, and spices into the bowl of a food processor and blend until everything is very finely chopped. You may need to scrap down the sides. Doing this step before the chickpeas makes sure you don’t get big celery chunks in your falafel
3. Add the remaining ingredients (flours, chickpeas, and baking soda) to the food processor and blend/pulse until the chickpeas are well chopped but not pasty. If it goes to long it will become humus and won’t hold up as well in the fryer. At this stage the dough should hold itself together well. If it seems too dry/wet add water/flour to adjust.
4. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll spoonfuls of falafel dough into balls and then flatten into disks – place these in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Freezing helps them hold up in the fryer.
5. Meanwhile prepare the sauces by mixing all of their respective ingredients together in separate bowls
6. Heat a pan with a hefty amount of oil over medium high heat (I used a cast iron skillet with 1/2 -1 inch of oil up the side of the pan). The oil is ready when a drop of water sputters when dripped into the pan.
7. Remove the falafel from the freezer and drop into the oil – cook for 2 – 3 minutes on each side. Place falafel on a drip pan or paper towels
8. Serve with your favorite side and the sauces! Or honestly anyway you choose.

Enjoy!