Once I saw that Jillian was upping the ante by making her own pita bread, I knew it was time to give it a whirl myself. I too followed the Gourmet recipe to a tee, and they turned out amazing! Homemade pita bread is one thing that is sure to impress guests – and needless to say tastes ions better than the store bought version – so next time you have a dinner party sign up for an appetizer!
Once I found myself with numerous pitas, I also decided to try my hand at baking falafal. I love falafal but don’t love the fried, greasy mess that usually accompanies them. Taste wise they were fantastic, although they don’t hold up quite as well as the fried version so be prepared for a softer consistency. I served two falafal balls in halved pita bread filled with Bibb lettuce and topped with a curried mint-yogurt sauce. Pick up a bunch of fresh herbs on your next trip to the farmer’s market and try this quick meal, it makes for a great weeknight dinner option!
Serves 3-4
Falafal
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans (or about 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans if using dried beans)
1 small onion, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoon2 fresh cilantro, minced
½ lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper
Curried Yogurt-Mint Sauce
½ cup plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons mint, minced
½ lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse your garbanzo beans. Place in a food processor and pulse to smash (alternatively you can do this by hand with a fork). I also mince all my other ingredients using a food processor to speed along the process. Combine all other ingredients with your smashed beans, mix well. Form into balls – think cookie dough size – then place on a very well oiled baking sheet. Lightly flatten each ball, as the more surface space on the pan the more the ball will crisp while baking. Bake 15 minutes on first side, flip and cook an additional 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine yogurt, garlic, mint, lemon, curry powder, salt and pepper.
Split pita in two and fill with lettuce (or desired veggies) then add falafal and top with yogurt sauce.
{ 1 comment }
made this dish and loved it! thank you.
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