Spicy Falafel With Homemade Pita Bread, Green Tahina Sauce, Red Onion Salad, and Zhoug

The best falafel I've ever had was in Jerusalem, my brother in law took us to mahane Yehuda (check out this beautiful photos) in Jerusalem. There was this falafel stand that my brother in law Ilan and his father have been going there for over 30 years? I can assure you, that my brother in law is super picky when it comes to food, so if he says it's good, then you better believe him. So, he took my husband and I to visit this place at night, I was speechless, it was so good, I almost cried. I can not even begin to describe how delicious it was. Thanks Ilan!!!!!

Here at home, I try to create this delightful vegetarian treat. Using lots spices, and herbs what make this falafel almost as delicious as the one I have tasted in Israel. It might not be the most authentic recipe, but I think you'll find that every house hold who make falafel has their own version. And, I have my own version as well. I hope you will have the time to try this recipe, because it is really delicious, and full of flavor. Also, it is good idea to make your own pita bread and all of this condiment and sauce that you need to serve it with. It just tastes so much better. So, if you have time to spare in the kitchen, let's make this, shall we?

The Falafel:

1 lb dried garbanzo

1 tbs coriander seeds

1 tbs cumin seeds

2 whole clove

1 star anise

1 whole cardamom

10 whole black peppercorns

1 large onion, peeled-roughly chopped

5 garlic cloves, peeled-chopped

1 inch sliced ginger, peeled-chopped

3 scallions, chopped

1 cup or more roughly chopped cilantro

1 cup or more roughly chopped parsley

5 red chili, simply omit it if you don't like spicy

½ tbs baking powder

½ tbs baking soda

salt to taste

Canola or vegetable oil

• Place dried garbanzo in a large bowl, rinse couple of times with water. Fill the bowl with water, let soak overnight. The next day when you are ready to make falafel, drain it in a colander.

• Grind coriander, cumin, clove, star anise, cardamom, and whole black peppercorns in a coffee grinder. Transfer this spices to a food processor, add the garbanzo , add the rest of ingredients, except the baking power and the baking soda.

• Process until you have a coarse paste, transfer to a bowl, allow to rest for 2o minutes.

• Just before you are ready to cook the falafel, add baking powder and baking soda to the mixture, mix well.

• Preheat oil in a deep heavy frying pan. To test if the seasoning is enough to your liking, take small mixture (a pinch or two?), and fry quickly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Then, continue to make small patties or balls (a little over an inch), and fry until the falafel is deep brown and cook all the way through. Drain on paper towel to get rid of the excess oil.

Green Tahina Sauce:

1 cup tahina paste

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ cup finely chopped parsley

lemon juice from 2 lemon

salt to taste

luke warm water

• Place everything, except the lukewarm water in a bowl. Mix with wooden spoon, add luke warm water a little at a time until you have the consistency of a thick cream. Taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Red Onion Salad:

2 red onion, peeled- slice thinly

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup chopped parsley

½ cup chopped mint

3 tbs olive oil

lemon juice from 1 lemon

sumac, optional

• Place everything in salad bowl, toss well. Sprinkle with sumac if desire.

Green Zhoug:

10 green Thai chilies

1 cup roughly chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

3 cloves peeled garlic

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground clove

¼ ground cardamom

salt to taste

• Place everything in a mortar and pestle, pound to make a paste. Or, process everything in a food processor until form a thick paste. Transfer to a jar or a bowl.

Red Zhoug:

10 red Thai chilies

3 cloves peeled garlic

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground clove

¼ ground cardamom

salt to taste

• Place everything in a mortar and pestle, pound to make a paste. Or, process everything in a food processor until form a thick paste. Transfer to a jar or a bowl.

Pita Bread

5¾ cups flour

1 tbs highly active instant dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs salt

• Place all ingredients in a mixer bowl, mix with your hand just to mix all ingredient well before adding some water. Attach the hook on your mixer, add about 3 cup of water, knead the dough for 1 minutes on a lowest setting. Increase the speed to speed #2, continue to knead for 2 minutes. Turn off the machine. Gather the dough into a ball. Place it on a lightly grease bowl. Cover with plastic, let it rest in warm place for one hour, or until it is double in volume.

• Place the baking stone (pizza stone) on a lowest rack, then preheat oven to 450⁰F.

• Transfer the dough into floured counter top. Divide into 12 portion. Form each of them into round shape. Bake it directly on top of the baking stone, you probably only able to bake about 4 pita at a time. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the pita is puff out. Process the same way with the rest of the pita.

To serve (just in case you don't know how to eat it):

Open one pita bread, spread a little of tahini sauce inside the cavity of this pita, add the onion salad, add 2 or 3 falafel, add more tahina sauce, top with zhoug. Hope you like it!

Photo below: green tahina sauce, pita bread, red or green zhoug, and red onion salad.