Falafel on homemade pita with quickled onions and tzatziki

Yield: About 20 balls

Ingredients  (adapted from Epicurious)

 

Yield

Yield: About 20 balls

Ingredients

1. • 1 cup dried chickpeas
   • 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
   • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
   • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (I don't like - but put it in - it dissolves)
   • 1 1/2  teaspoon salt
   • 1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
   • 4 cloves of garlic
   • 1 teaspoon cumin
   • juice of a whole lemon (please use a fresh lemon)
   • 1 teaspoon baking powder
   • 4-6 tablespoons flour
   • Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
   • Chopped lettuce and tomato for garnish
   • 'quickled' onion (see below)
   • tzatziki (see below)
   • Pita bread (see below

Preparation

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain.  Do not use canned chick peas - the falafel will fall apart.
2. Place the onion, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and red pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Process until smooth, scraping the sides.
3. Add the drained, uncooked chickpeas and process until well blended - but not pureed.
4. Add the cilantro and parsley, and process until blended.  Just a few pulses - you want texture.
5. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours - up to 3 days.
6. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts or golf balls - I use a small cookie dough scoop and then gently roll in to a ball. 
7. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375ºF in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test.  This is important!  If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. About 3-4 minutes.  Drain on paper towels. 
8. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes and lettuce, pickled onion.  Top with tzatziki.
9. Add whatever garnish you prefer - banana peppers, olives, dill pickles, etc. 

Pita Bread  (adapted from the NY Times)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 35 grams whole-wheat flour (1/4 cup), preferably freshly milled
• 310 grams unbleached all-purposed flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2  teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1. Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
2. Dissolve salt in the olive oil and add to the sponge with nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.
3. Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)
4. Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.
6. Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat disk with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
7. Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

Tzatziki

Ingredients

1 cup fat free plain greek yogurt
2 baby cucumbers (or one half english cucumber seeds removed)
1 clove garlic crushed
juice of 1/2 lemon (approx 2 TBSP)
1 TBSP good evoo
2 TBSP fresh minced parsley   ( I don't like dill or cilantro but you could use either of those)
3/4 tsp salt

Method

Grate cucumber with a box grater - place in a fine mesh strainer and sprinkle with salt and leave for about 15 minutes.  Squeeze out excess water with your hands and place in a bowl.  Add all ingredients and mix well.  Place in serving bowl and drizzle olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 7 days.

Quickled Onions

Ingredients

1 red onion thinly sliced
1 yellow onion thinly sliced
1/2 c water
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/4 c white vinegar
2 TBSP sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 TBSP white sugar (or grenadine if you have it - it's pretty)


Combine water, vinegar(s), salt, pepper, and sugar and stir to dissolve and combine.  Heat in microwave 3 minutes, until steaming.  Add mixed onions to resealable container or mason jar.

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