Baked Falafel Sandwich

VegSocialWorker's Note:

From weight watchers website. This is yummy. Not your traditional falafel, but fantastic for not being deep fried and much healthier this way. Note: If your chick pea mixture is too dry to form nice patties (which seems to happen with some of the canned chick pea brands) then just add some liquid to them to help them bind together, such as tahini, lemon juice, oil or water.

• Total Time: 34 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 14 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 15 ½ ounces canned chick-peas , drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup onion , chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley or ¼ cup cilantro , chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove , minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame tahini
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• lettuce
• tomato , slices
• cucumber , slices
• 4 large whole wheat pita bread

Directions:

1. Combine chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and baking soda in a food processor or blender.
2. Process until mixture is coarsely pureed and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in flour and shape mixture into 4 large patties and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden brown, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and bake 10 minutes more.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together tahini, water and lemon juice in a small bowl.
6. To assemble sandwiches, place lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in the pitas inside each pita with 1 falafel patty and drizzle with tahini dressing.
7. Enjoy!

Reviews

[JanuaryBride]

Very good and mild falafel. . .ate them as patties without the pita. . .topped with cucumbers and WhiteRoseChild's Tasty Tahini Sauce. Fun and different for dinner this evening. Thanks! Made for VEG*N tag.

[ladypit]

I loved the falafel part, though mine stuck to the pan so next time I think I'd just spray a cookie sheet and bake them straight. But the texture and taste were lovely. I was less fond of the tahini dressing and think I'll go in search of a different one to put on top. And, honestly, I preferred them just on a plate without the pita. I realize that is not traditional, but it is probably because I don't have very good pita bread. I loved the flavor on these, though, and will probably make them again. Thank you for so many wonderfully tasty and healthy recipes!

[Tea Girl]

We make this quite often now, different taste than fried falafel, but they are wonderful. I do them on a baking sheet without doing them in the skillet first and brush the falafel with oil before I put them on the sheet.