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Falafel wraps make delicious use of crispy falafel, and they’re easy to make with tahini sauce, wrapped in pita.
Mother never made that.
Thatโs what momโs sister, Aunt Pat, said when I talked about the falafel Iโd be making with the abundance of fresh herbs we had on hand.
The sisters have been engaged in a dialogue, one that has extended the entirety of their visit these weeks up north, centered largely on their parents. They want to remember, and their memories arenโt always in syncโwhich is understandable, given that my mom was the youngest by many years of the seven children and Pat one of the eldest. They grew up in different households (even though one thing did remain a constantโtheir mother Aliceโs nonstop cooking, crafting, cleaning, and otherwise perpetual motion).
But when it comes to the falafel, they are in complete agreement: Mother never made that. Not ever. And both sisters believe theyโve never eaten a falafel of anyoneโs making, even mine, mom says. I see a beautiful photo of it in your bookโฆ she trails off. Clearly my neglect knows no bounds.
The homemade falafel is a thing of beauty, and itโs so delicious it changes your mind if the only falafel youโve eaten is in a restaurant or from a boxed mix. Made from a delicate crumb of soaked (not cooked) chickpeas and peeled fava beans with a glorious shower of fresh mint, cilantro and parsley, spiked with jalapeno/garlic/onion/sesame, then flash fried and paired with an elegant tahini-yogurt sauceโฆahhhh, the summer in this is deeply aromatic and flavorful.
When the falafel recipe was in testing for the book, my trusty testers (thank you, again and again!) kept telling me the recipe wasnโt working out. Turned out their fava beans were not the big white peeled beans, but the dark ones with the skins on. Those are more readily available but they donโt work here.
So the peeled fava beans for the falafel, in hopes youโll discover how good (not to mention how healthy, despite the frying) homemade, fresh herb falafel is this way, on its own or in a wrap (try wrapping falafel waffles!) or in falafel bowls. Just like we did.
Falafel Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 loaves pita bread, or any wrap
- 6 falafel, Make homemade falafel or use prepared falafel. They're best warm for the wraps.
- 1/4 cup tahini sauce, Use my simple tahini sauce recipe
- 2 tablespoons turnip pickles, Make your own turnip pickles or use prepared pickles
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
Instructions
- Place a loaf of pita on each of two plates. Lay several falafel along one side of the bread a few inches from the edge.
- Top with tahini sauce, fresh herbs, and sliced pickled turnips. Dust with chopped herbs.
- Roll the pita up tightly, cut in half on the diagonal, and serve immediately with more sauce for dipping.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
WOndering if it would be possible to bake instead of fry the falafels?
Thanks so much!
That would be well worth a try–you might want to broil them to get the exterior browned and crisp. Let us know how it goes!!
I was really looking forward to these. The sauce was made. The cucumbers and onions were diced. The tomatoes from my garden were sliced. My husband was hanging over my shoulder, drooling because it all smelled so good. And the falafels disintegrated. Every single one. I know it’s me and not the recipe. Still very disappointed.
Hi Maureen, I got your cookbook as an Xmas gift, and finally got to try your falafel recipe. I had to double the chickpeas, as I couldn’t find fava beans where I am. However, upon completion of the mix I tried to form the falafel and couldn’t because the mixture was so wet. I had to add breadcrumbs and an egg to salvage the mix. Any ideas what could prevent that if I tried again?
Hi Christina–I’m so glad you made the falafel. I’m surprised and sorry about the wetness. I wonder if the herbs were too wet?
My mother made multitudes of Lebanese dishes. but she never ever made falafel. The first time I had it was as an adult at a place in New Haven, CT called “Mamouns”. I wonder if it’s a regional dish in Lebanon? I never did understand why we never had it.
I’ll have to try it with favas – I’ve only made them using chick peas.
I am a big fan of your blog Maureen! Thank you for posting all these great recipes! As for peeling the fava beans, I know from my dad, that they use peeled fava beans, something easily found in the Lebanese grocery stores, and it’s also known under “foul majroush”. I hope you find this helpful.
Thank you Cherine!
Lovely!
How do they remove the skins from the fava beans? Thanks
Maureen
Great question Marlene–something I will have to look into further! I have peeled a lot of fresh fava beans in my time and that is one seriously painstaking task!
Grew up in Lebanese Catholic family from villiage of Raskifa. My grandmother made it all. Never ever made a falafel that I can remember.
Maureen, I have another comment, or you could say a question perhaps. What’s this adding yogurt in the tahini sauce? I lived and ate falafel until the age of 18 in Beirut, and never heard of adding or thinning down the tahini sauce with yogurt! I thought this is something foreign to our Lebanese tradition and the way of making falafel. My recollection of it was a great thick tahini sauce topping on the falafel that completed the sandwich:-) yum!!! I also Have a suggestion for the best falafel ever in Beirut. There is a well known cheff in Beirut by the name of Chef Chadi Zeitouni who had as his guest the owner of this falafel place (called Falafel Arax) and was trying to get the secret of making this falafel that even he couldn’t duplicate. So, if you could go on you tube and look for this truely funny man and his guest preparing this absolutely one of a kind flavor falafel. It’s almost scientific, the way they make it. Please see if you could post it on your website for those who do not or did not understand the Arabic language recipe! Many thanks in advance.
All very interesting Levon, thank you! The tahini yogurt sauce is delicious and I add the yogurt because I love it!
My one attempt at falafel was a disaster, but I’m inclined to believe it was due to the unskinned favas. I’ve just ordered 2 bags from your market – counting the days until I can make a batch of your delicious falafel!
What a glorious treat, Maureen! Your recipe looks even tastier and nicer than the one I make, which was taught to me by a friend, also from Lebanese ancestry. And in my case, it’s also true: my Lebanese Grandma and her sisters never-ever made that, either. It hasn’t been part of my family’s tradition, which is a great loss – one that must be corrected, haha!
Thank you so much for sharing the joy of falafel through one more of your wonderful recipes.
Ok…I’m guilty!! Never have made Falafel from scratch either. And…to make it worse, I had one food critic comment on the recipe in my cookbook, that using the box mix was not to kosher…although she said it a little harsher. Well, not having had it growing up at home, and trying to make all recipes easy for the younger generation, I took this short cut….my bad!!
Anyway, I am going to make your recipe…my husband loves Falafel so onward to the kitchen….