Falafel with Tzatziki — sea salt and honey

Brian and I love to entertain. Having a house full of friends while enjoying good food and great wine while laughing until late in the evening—there’s nothing better. And my friends are so low key and accepting that they never mind if I don’t feel like cooking and decide to order takeout instead. But I really do love to cook! So it’s usually part of the fun.

That said, the first rule of being a good host is taking into account your guests’ food restrictions and allergies. And our group of friends has quite a few! But that’s life (especially as we settle into our 30s), and we’re happy to accommodate their preferences. From vegetarian diets, to fish allergies, dairy-free regimens, and mushroom aversions, there are plenty of foods on my no-cook list for guests. That’s why I’m obsessed with this falafel recipe. It’s vegetarian friendly and dairy free (without the tzatziki sauce), and it’s so delicious I even make it during the week to mix up my menu planning.

Plus, it’s worth noting that after living in Hoboken and working in NYC for so long, I became spoiled with quick dinners/lunches/snacks at Mamoun’s and Taim and never really considered what I’d do once I moved out of the area. Turns out, falafel cravings are real and only the best will satisfy them. Thankfully, this recipe stacks up. For friends, family, or random cravings, this falafel recipe is my favorite.

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Falafel with Tzatziki

slightly adapted from Minimalist Baker and Smitten Kitchen

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes

Ingredients:

For the falafel:

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed thoroughly
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3-4 tablespoon canola oil
Panko bread crumbs for coating (see instructions)

For the tzatziki:

2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, grated, and squeezed of any liquid using a clean cotton dish towel
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble the sandwich:

1 cucumber chopped,
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, chopped
store-bought hummus
Pita bread, toasted

Directions:

Falafel:

Place chickpeas, parsley, garlic, shallots, sesame seeds, cumin, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture comes together in a grainy dough, scraping down bowl as needed. Add flour and pulse until the dough is no longer wet and easily comes together without sticking to your hands. Season to taste.

Form the dough into balls the size of your palm (about 2 tablespoons per ball) and gently flatten the balls into cakes. Place the formed falafels on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm, about one hour. (You don’t have to refrigerate the dough BUT chilling prevents the falafel from falling apart when frying.)

Once falafel has chilled, heat a large pan over medium-high heat (you want the oil to be very hot so the falafel cook quickly). Sprinkle panko over both sides of the falafel, pressing gently to ensure it adheres. When the oil is hot, add as many falafel as you can in a single layer without crowding. Cook each side until they’re a deep brown (but not burnt) in color—about 4-5 minutes. Remove falafel from oil and transfer to a platter covered in paper towels. Repeat with remaining falafel. Serve immediately (taking care to remove the paper towels from the platter) with tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus and pita bread.

Tzatziki:

Whisk all ingredients except for the cucumber in a medium bowl. If the sauce is too thick, add more white vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time. Once desired thickness is achieved, mix in the shredded cucumber. Season to taste.

Sandwich:

Serve falafel with tzatziki, hummus, toasted pita, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Enjoy!