Falafel with Tahini sauce
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Jewish Falafel With Tahini Sauce

Despite being Israel’s national food, like the Israeli salad that frequently accompanies it, whether or not falafel can be called “Israeli” is a matter of ongoing debate. Serve with hummus, tahini, Israeli salad, and a pita.

The seasoned chickpea mixture for this falafel should have a coarse texture. This will ensure a crisp shell and a moist interior.

Sauce

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped and mashed into a paste with a little salt
  • 12 cup tahini
  • 14 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Falafel

  • 12 lb. dried chickpeas
  • 1 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp. flour
  • 34 tsp. ground coriander
  • 34 tsp. ground cumin
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • Cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 1 12 tsp. baking soda mixed with 1 tbsp. water
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • Warm pita, for serving

Directions

  1. Make the sauce: Place garlic paste in a small bowl and add the tahini, parsley, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup ice water. Whisk until sauce is creamy; season with salt. Set tahini sauce aside.
  2. Make the falafel: In a medium bowl soak chickpeas in cold water overnight. Drain water and place chickpeas in a food processor with parsley, flour, coriander, cumin, garlic, onions, and cayenne. Pulse mixture until it is well combined yet still coarse in texture, about 80 pulses. Add baking soda mixture and season with salt and cayenne; pulse to combine. Chill in freezer for 20 minutes. Use a spoon to portion the mixture into 1-tbsp. balls.
  3. Pour oil into a 6-qt. pot to a depth of 2″; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 340°. Working in batches, fry falafel balls, turning occasionally, until they float and turn golden brown, about 2 1/2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer falafel to a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Serve in a pita with the tahini sauce.

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