Falafel Pitas with Tahini Sauce

Budget Recipes

Make your own delicious falafel at home! Falafel batter is surprisingly easy to make–just blend up some soaked chickpeas with onion, garlic, parsley and spices. This recipe also includes a simple, savory tahini sauce. Feel free to add a little hot sauce or more fresh vegetables to the pockets.

Tahini Sauce Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced
  • Salt to taste

Falafel Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 cup onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne
  • Oil for frying (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 4-6 Romaine leaves
  • Pocket pita breads

Tahini Sauce Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork. After a bit of mixing, the tahini and water will combine to form a creamy texture. Place in refrigerator while you make the falafel, it will thicken further. If you prefer a runnier texture, feel free to add additional water.

Falafel Instructions:

Rinse and sort chickpeas. Place in a bowl covered with plenty of water and allow to soak for 24 hours. Drain chickpeas and place in blender with parsley, onion, garlic, spices and salt. Blend thoroughly until all ingredients are fully ground and well incorporated into a thick paste. Heat oil in a large frypan on medium-high heat. Form falafel batter into 12 equal balls and fry until browned on one side, then flip to brown on the other side. Remove from frypan and pat down to remove excess oil. Serve falafel with sliced cucumbers, romaine lettuce, tahini sauce, and warmed pocket pitas (cut in half and opened up.)