Baked Falafel Sandwiches with Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Yet another tasty tasty dinner. I have been so impressed with us lately. We have had difficulty with falafel in the past. Usually the patties or balls are fried and we have had difficulty with sticking and with falling apart. So I was interested in trying a baked recipe. Also I was interested in using bulgur in the patties since I have not used bulgur before. And boy was I right to check this recipe out. By far the best falafel we have made from scratch. I was a little concerned with the sauce since it seemed almost too simple. But I resisted the temptation to add garlic or scallion as I was close to doing. And again, a good call. Matty went back for 3 servings of the sauce! So go ahead, try these out. It makes quite a bit. We each had a 2 patty sandwich and it was plenty for dinner. But they are great leftover, just throw them in the toaster oven for a minute or two.

Baked Falafel Sandwiches with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce


Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern offering consisting of seasoned pureed chickpeas shaped into patties and usually fried. It's worth the effort to seek out Greek yogurt, which is thick, rich, and creamy. Make the sauce up to three days in advance (we made the sauce the day of while the falafel mixture was getting to room temp) and the falafel mixture up to one day ahead (we made the falafel the night before and refrigerated overnight); bake falafel patties just before serving (I took the mixture out about 10 minutes before making patties and baking). Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed flatbread) (For once I actually agree with the serving size here, we had some of the couscous salad from earlier in the week on the side and each had 2 patties) Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007 (That is their pic, in case you had any question)


Sauce:
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (such as Fage Total Classic) (I used nonfat yogurt which worked just fine)
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame-seed paste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Falafel:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup uncooked bulgur
3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (I used 2 cans worth, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 to 1/2 cup water (I used about 1/4 cup water)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used 1/2 tsp)
3 garlic cloves
Cooking spray

Remaining ingredients:
6 (2.8-ounce) Mediterranean Style white flatbreads (such as Toufayan) (We used whole wheat pita breads)
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato (I juliened a plum tomato, some red onion and some cucumber to put on top)
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

To prepare sauce, combine the first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

To prepare falafel, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; add bulgur to pan. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine chickpeas and the next 9 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until well blended (I turned it on, as opposed to pulsing, for almost a minute) and smooth (mixture will be wet). Spoon chickpea mixture into a large bowl; stir in bulgur.

Divide mixture into 12 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each) (I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop it out and then formed patties in my hands and then put on baking sheet which worked out really well); shape each portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Place patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes on each side or until browned. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce onto each flatbread. Top each flatbread with 2 falafel patties, 2 tomato slices, and chopped cilantro, if desired.

CALORIES 388 (18% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 3.5g,mono 1.6g,poly 1.6g); IRON 5.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 7mg; CALCIUM 181mg; CARBOHYDRATE 64.6g; SODIUM 535mg; PROTEIN 18g; FIBER 14.7g