Crunchy Falafel Pitas

By tlfrench_52

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• Salt
• 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 pita breads, split
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small head romaine lettuce

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 18mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine yogurt and garlic in a bowl and season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, 1/2 cup flour, cumin, egg and 1/2 tsp. salt and process until almost smooth. Add onion and pulse just to combine. Place remaining 2 Tbsp. flour on a plate. Form chickpea mixture into 12 1/2-inch-thick patties. Dredge each patty in flour.

3. Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties and cook until golden, turning once, about 8 minutes total (work in batches if skillet won't fit all patties). Slide patties into pitas, add tomatoes and lettuce, top with reserved yogurt sauce and serve.

Prefer baking to frying? Place patties on a well-oiled pan and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Flip patties and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Tahini, a Middle Eastern sesame-seed paste sold in many grocery stores, is traditionally eaten with falafel. Drizzle it on instead of the yogurt sauce.