Vegetarian falafel shawarma
No meat, just as satisfying: crisp chickpea falafel, fresh vegetables and tahini sauce in flatbread.
Method
- Cover the dried chickpeas with cold water and soak overnight (at least 8 hours). Do not cook them — it's the raw soaked chickpea that holds together when fried.
- Drain and pat dry. Blitz with the onion, garlic, herbs and spices to a damp crumb. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix.
- Let the mix rest 20–30 minutes, then shape walnut-sized balls with wet hands.
- Fry the falafel in hot oil (about 170 °C) until deep golden, 3–4 minutes. Drain on paper towel.
- For the sauce, whisk the tahini with lemon juice, garlic and salt, then loosen with water to a pourable cream.
- Warm the flatbread, spread with tahini, add the falafel (lightly crushed), fresh vegetables and salad. Wrap and toast the parcel.
Tips
- The classic mistake is cooked or canned chickpeas: falafel made from them falls apart in the oil. You need raw soaked ones.
- No deep-frying? Flatten into patties and pan-fry in 1 cm of oil, or bake at 200 °C with a spray of oil.
How to serve
With tahini sauce and lemon wedges. It goes brilliantly with pickles and a little hot sauce.
Recipe adapted from: Eda.ru, Gastronom.ru