Baked Falafel Pita with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 x 400 g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 480 g drained)
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 30 g flat-leaf parsley
• 20 g cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons plain flour, plus 1 more only if needed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 60 g tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3–5 tablespoons cold water
• 4 pita breads
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 80 g shredded lettuce

Instructions

1. Dry the chickpeas. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then spread them over a clean tea towel and pat very dry. Leave for 10 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Wet beans make a paste that needs excessive flour and can turn heavy. Discard any loose skins if convenient; removing every skin is unnecessary.
2. Pulse, do not purée. Put onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add chickpeas, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons flour. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture is finely coarse and clumps when pressed. Scrape the bowl as needed; stop before it becomes smooth hummus.
3. Shape and chill. Form 12 compact patties about 5 cm across and 1.5 cm thick. If a test patty will not hold, pulse a little more or add the extra tablespoon flour. Chill the patties for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F during the final part of chilling.
4. Bake on an oiled tray. Brush a sturdy baking tray with 1 tablespoon oil and place the patties with gaps. Brush their tops with the remaining tablespoon. Bake for 15 minutes, turn carefully with a thin spatula, then bake another 10–15 minutes until browned and firm with cooked centres. These remain more tender than fried dried-chickpea falafel.
5. Whisk the tahini sauce. Whisk tahini with lemon juice, then add cold water a tablespoon at a time until pourable. It may stiffen before becoming smooth as more water is added. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Mix tomatoes and cucumber separately and drain off watery juices.
6. Fill the pita. Warm pita according to its packet, cut to open pockets and line with lettuce. Add three warm patties per pita, spoon in chopped salad and drizzle with tahini sauce. Keep extra sauce at the table. Fill only just before eating so the bread does not become wet.

Tips and troubleshooting

A soft mixture is usually too wet or overprocessed. Drying the chickpeas before mixing is more effective than continually adding flour. If patties stick at the first turn, give them another couple of minutes to form a crust and slide the spatula fully underneath.

Substitutions

Use only parsley if cilantro is unavailable. Lemon yogurt can replace tahini sauce when sesame is unsuitable, but introduces milk and changes the flavour. Certified gluten-free flour and suitable pita can be used, although binding may differ.

Allergen notes

Contains sesame and wheat. Chickpea products and bread may have additional allergen or cross-contact statements. This version contains no added dairy or egg.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate cooked leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C/90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 4°C/40°F or colder and use cooked leftovers within 3–4 days. Reheat cooked fillings thoroughly to 74°C/165°F. Store salad and cold sauces separately; reheat only the portion needed. Discard food left out beyond these limits. Rewarm patties on a tray so their surfaces can dry again, then assemble fresh pita with cold salad.

Food safety references: USDA safe cooking temperatures and leftovers and food safety.