Description
Smash Falafel Pita is a flavorful Middle Eastern dish featuring a freshly made falafel mixture cooked uniquely by pressing onto warm pita bread in a skillet. This recipe offers a crispy, herbaceous falafel base combined with tahini sauce and fresh vegetables inside soft Arabic pita for a delicious, satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Falafel Mixture
- 1 pound dry uncooked chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¾ cup parsley
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For Cooking & Serving
- Olive oil (for frying)
- Tahini sauce (for serving)
- Arabic style pita bread
Instructions
- Soak Chickpeas: Cover the dry chickpeas with water in a medium bowl and leave them to soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. The chickpeas will absorb the water and roughly double in size.
- Drain and Dry: Drain the soaked chickpeas, rinse thoroughly, and dry as well as possible, preferably using a salad spinner, to remove excess moisture.
- Prepare Falafel Mixture: Place the dried chickpeas and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chopped into fine, pebble-sized bits. Add parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, and black pepper. Blend until the ingredients form a thick, cohesive paste, scraping down sides as necessary. This yields about 4 cups of falafel batter.
- Cook on Pita: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place a scoop (about ¾ cup) of the falafel batter onto the surface of Arabic pita bread, spreading slightly, and then place the pita falafel side down onto the hot skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the falafel is browned and the pita edges are crisp.
- Optional Flip: Flip the pita to the other side if you prefer extra crispness, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from skillet, top the falafel and pita with tahini sauce and fresh vegetables as desired. Fold the pita and enjoy immediately while warm and crispy.
Notes
- Soaking the chickpeas for the full duration is crucial for proper texture in the falafel batter.
- Drying the chickpeas well after soaking prevents soggy falafel.
- Use a food processor for best mixing results; if unavailable, finely chop ingredients by hand.
- This recipe cooks the falafel batter pressed onto pita rather than shaping and deep frying traditional falafel balls, offering a quicker, less oily alternative.
- Serve immediately for the best crispy texture.
- Optional toppings include chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs alongside tahini sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 12-24 hours soaking)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: falafel, pita, Middle Eastern, vegetarian, chickpeas, tahini, skillet cooking, herbaceous, quick falafel, healthy falafel
