In the Kitchen: Falafel

Studio 5 Contributor Susan Neal introduces us to falafel.

Falafel is like the ‘hamburger’ to the Middle East and is inexpensive street food in many Mediterranean countries.

Falafel, loosely translated means “fluffy crunchy things”, which is certainly how they are supposed to taste. The ground dried & soaked chick peas are mixed with onions, herbs and spices and then fried and stuffed into a pocket pita bread and topped with non-traditional, but tasty Greek Tzatziki sauce and a tomato relish.

Falafel

• 2 cups dry chick peas
• 2-3 gloves garlic
• 1 medium onion
• Bunch Italian parsley
• Bunch cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Canola Oil
• Pocket Pita Bread

The night before, place chick peas in a large bowl and cover with twice as much water as peas. Next day, drain and store in fridge until ready to use. Peas will double in size approximately, so you should have about 4 cups of hydrated peas altogether.

In food processor, process hydrated chick peas until they resemble fine crumbs and stick to each other. Add garlic, onions, parsley and cilantro and process until well combined. Add rest of ingredients except the canola oil. Mixture should stick together well, if not, you can add a little more olive oil

Using a 1″ scoop, create balls from mixture, then with hands, make slightly flattened disks (they fit better into the pita bread.) Cover with plastic wrap until ready to fry. You can make these several hours ahead and store in fridge.

Heat oil to 330 F. Fry Falafel until golden brown, approx. 2 minutes. The outside will be crispy, the center soft. Serve hot with warmed pita bread, tomato relish and Tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce


• 24 oz. Greek Yogurt (or drain plain yogurt to thicken)

• 1 cup grated English cucumber

• 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

• Bunch of fresh dill, chopped finely

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp salt

Grate cucumber and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain slightly, pat with a paper towel if necessary to absorb excess moisture. Meanwhile, mix yogurt, oil and lemon juice until combined. Add garlic, cucumber, dill and salt. Mix well and store in fridge for up to 3-4 days. The longer it’s stored, the stronger the garlic taste will become. If liquid accumulates on otp, just pour it off and stir what’s left.

Tomato Relish


• 3 large tomatoes, diced (approx. 4 cups)
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced finely
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• Salt & pepper to taste

Grate cucumber and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain slightly. Meanwhile, mix yogurt, oil and lemon juice until combined. Add garlic, cucumber, dill and salt. Mix well and store in fridge for up to a week.

Susan Neal has a passion for paper and food. Both present an opportunity to be creative and make other people happy. She has spent the last 20 years sharing that passion with students and customers alike.