Over the weekend my kitchen got a little treat, I finally stocked the cabinet with something it didn’t even realize it was missing.
After many failed attempts at homemade hummus, I had to surrender to the idea that Tahini must really work some magic. So, hey, why not? I picked up a jar at Sunflower Market for only $5.99 – I have no idea whether or not that’s a good deal (see: newbie), but it certainly wasn’t a budget buster.
Alright, Tahini. You win.
Instead of jumping right into another hummus experiment, I suddenly had a craving for Falafel (thanks to Gena’s post). Must. Make. NOW!
Tahini looks like peanut butter. Don’t be fooled, it does not taste the same.
I thought I’d go a Southwestern route and add some Green Chile to the mix, then I realized how long that little can has been in my pantry and I thought better of ruining my Falafel night.
On the GF note, I scoured a few recipes before tweaking my own. Mama Pea used Oat Flour, and my first reaction was “Finally! I can use that stuff again” (after the cupcakes).
Alright, long story short, I made Falafel last night. It was awesome.
Homemade GF Falafel
1 can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed & drained
1 1/2 Tbsp Tahini
1/2 fresh lemon, squeezed for juice
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
1/3 c Oat Flour (+/- ….I didn’t measure this exactly)
Cumin, Salt, Pepper, Oregano
Heat the oven to 350*. Pulse the first four ingredients in a Food Processor. Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the two, stirring until mixed well. Roll into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping after 10.
Soy Ginger Yogurt Sauce
I can’t take credit for a recipe here, but this was easy and added that great creamy yogurt sauce that Falafel wraps should have:
~1/4 c Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
~2 Tbsp Soy Ginger Dressing (we used Drew’s brand, new to us)
Falafel wrap perfection: Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, purple onion & arugula + spinach mixed greens.
That whole wheat tortilla clearly isn’t GF, but a brown rice tortilla could substitute!
Yum! Those sound so good and also simple – my two favorites!!
Falafel is one of those things that I always think would be impossible to make at home. Looks good!!
wow, I never had any clue what a “falafel” was. i’m still not sure i know, but, beans!
Ha, chickpeas! Basically a dryer version of hummus
With flour (traditionally bread crumbs), and fried or baked.
This looks delicious, but sorry this is not Falafel
( It is not a dry version of hummus and doesn’t include bread crumbs esp if it is ” Traditionally”. And always fried 
( not baked..and usually served with tahini sauce ( tahini, yogurt, lemon juice) rather than adding tahini to the mix. it includes fava beans, chickpeas ( and actually you start from dried beans and chickpeas), clinatro, parsely, garlic…I tried to look for some recipes..this is probably the closest I could get to “traditional” Falafel
The sesame seeds are an addition to this one:
http://www.tasteofbeirut.com/2009/08/falafel-sandwiches/
This is another one. Used only chickpeas.However the first looks more authentic to me..but both are good.
http://www.dirtykitchensecrets.com/mad-about-chickpeas-falafel/
ohhhhh ya! i am loving this. Homemade and GF> you win my heart to day heather!
I know this post is about falafel, and you’ve already gone the tahini route, but here’s an idea i tried (and had success with) for hummus without tahini…
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2Tbsp oil — NOTE: I skim some of the oil from the top of a new jar of natural peanut butter (because I like my PB thicker than it ends up when you just stir the oil in) — my hummus came out better (more moist) with this than with canola, olive, or any other vegetable oil
1/4 onion, minced (adds flavor and moisture)
1-2 cloves garlic
crushed red pepper, cumin to taste
Pulse in food processor until smooth.
Thanks for the recipe, Laurie! I’ve heard of using PB instead, definitely something I think I’d like
Confession: I didn’t know how to pronounce the word “falafel” until a few friend at the Fitness & Health Bloggers Conference told me.
I’m eating tahini with some veggies as I write this!
Delicious! I’ve never made felafel, but this post makes me realize I could.
And tahini really does do great things for homemade hummus.
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I’ve been wanting falafel for weeks!! I think I might just use your recipe and actually get my falafel!! Thanks!