Falafel and Cucumber Sauce
A flavorful and healthy dish combining crispy falafel and a refreshing cucumber sauce, perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Cucumber Sauce Ingredients
- 1 container plain yogurt 6 ounces
- 0.5 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Falafel Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained 15 ounces
- 1 onion, chopped
- 0.5 cup fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 dash pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- for frying oil
- 2 pieces pita breads, cut in half
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, cucumber, mayonnaise, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir well and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Falafel
- In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas until thick and pasty. Avoid using a blender to keep the texture.
- Place the onion, parsley, and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir this mixture into the mashed chickpeas until combined.
- In a small bowl, mix the egg, cumin, coriander, salt, lemon juice, baking powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Add this to the chickpea mixture with the olive oil.
- Slowly mix in the bread crumbs until the mixture holds together but is not sticky. Form the mixture into 8 balls and flatten them into patties.
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the falafels until they are brown on both sides.
Serve
- Serve two falafels in each pita half, topped with chopped tomatoes and the cucumber sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
For best flavor, let the sauce chill longer if possible. Don't mash the chickpeas too much; a chunky texture is desirable. You can add chopped spinach or grated zucchini for extra veggies.