Falafel Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
- 2 cup coarsely crumbled stale whole-wheat bread
- 16 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- juice of 1 large lemon
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup finely chopped scallions
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 rounds pita bread,warmed and halved
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, shredded
- 1 cup loosely packed finely shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup tahini or yoghurt sauce
Instructions
In a bowl, cover the bulgur with cold water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. while the bulgur is soaking, put the bread in another bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain the bread in a colander, squeezing out the excess moisture. Drain the bulgur well through a fine sieve. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade, combine the garbanzos, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, pepper flakes, cumin, black pepper and scallions. Process with an off-on motion until the mixture is finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the bulgur and bread and mix well. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and shape into a ball or patty. Set the patties aside on a plate. Heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the patties to the pan without crowding and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until golden brown all over. As the patties brown, transfer to paper towels to drain and keep warm while frying the remainder. To serve, tuck 3-4 balls or patties in each pita half. Add several slices of tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper, and a sprinkling of scallions and lettuce. Drizzle with the tahini and serve immediately.