Every once in a while I cook something at home that is so delicious, I have to give myself a little pat on the back. It doesn’t happen all that frequently, but this was one of those dinners that I was just so proud of, and couldn’t wait to blog about, not to mention make again.

I’m late to the falafel game in my life, only just having gotten over my aversion to all types of beans a few years ago, and I’m in love. I tried making my own at home last year, but I pulsed it one too many times in the food processor, and ended up with something closer to hummus than to falafel (not that Hummus Cakes are necessarily a bad thing, just not what I was looking for).

I decided to try again with a new recipe, and was very mindful of keeping my pulses short and sweet. I tucked my warm falafel into whole wheat tortillas that I made myself, and added cucumber, tomato, pickles and a creamy tahini garlic sauce. Absolutely amazing. If only it were this easy to make shawarma! 

Falafel Tacos + Tahini Garlic Sauce

Source: The Looneyspoons Collection

Yield: 12-15 falafel patties, which would serve 3 or 4 people.

Ingredients

Falafel

1 can (19oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup roughly chopped red onion

3 tbsp cilantro and parsley

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp tahini

2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp each ground coriander, chili powder and salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Tahini Garlic Sauce (adapted from Canadian living, I changed a lot of things)

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp tahini 

1/4 cup each lemon juice, grapeseed (or canola) oil, warm water

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3, it was extra delicious)

1/4 tsp salt

+ whole wheat tortillas, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickles and whatever other toppings you like!

Directions

  1. For falafel, add everything to your food processor. Pulse on and off, and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times, but be careful to leave the mixture chunky – – we’re not making hummus here.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for an hour. When it’s ready, form the mixture into little patties. I used a non-stick pan sprayed with non-stick spray to cook my patties, 3-4 minutes per side over medium heat (you can fry them in a bit of oil if you want).
  3. For sauce, whisk everything together. If it’s too thin, add a little more tahini until it’s thick enough for you.
  4. Assemble and eat!