Tasty Tuesday: Falafel and Tzatziki

So Lauren has been talking about Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce so I thought it may be time to share my recipe!  Hope you like it!

Tzatziki-
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp dill
kosher salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cucumber

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Peel the cucumber and then slice it in half and then in half again lengthwise and scoop out the seeds in the middle.

Slice it up into smaller pieces and put them on top of paper towels and sprinkle them with kosher salt and let them dry for a bit.  (I usually wait about an hour)

Squeeze the slices to get out as much moisture as you can.  (you want them as dry as you can get them)

Put these into a blender with the garlic, dill and lemon juice.

Mix that with the sour cream and Greek yogurt in a large mixing bowl and add kosher salt and pepper. (You’re going to add quite a bit of kosher salt before it tastes right, but you should know-every sprinkle makes a big difference in how the sauce tastes)

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  The longer it sits, the better the flavors will mix, so feel free to make this ahead of time!

Falafel-

2 cans of chickpeas (mashed with a potato masher, not a food processor)
1 tsp baking powder
1 lg onion, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbs Cumin
2 Tbs Coriander
1 pinch of cayenne (and I mean a pinch!)
2 handfuls of finely chopped parsley
1 handful of finely chopped cilantro
1 cup of plain breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
a squeeze of lemon juice
Veggie oil

Just mash all of this together in a bowl until you get a texture that can be molded into patties. I make small , round patties that I can fit into pita bread. I tried using a food processor for this job and it was a disaster because it came out too fine and the patties fell apart in the oil! Heat enough oil in a pan so that the falafel has enough room to float (or use a fryer!)  You want the oil hot but not so hot that it will disturb the falafel when you put it into the pan-think like when you make fried chicken and you don’t want all the breading to fall off when it hits the oil lol. Falafel is very delicate so frying them is the hardest part! Then just fry them until they are golden brown and pull them out and drain them on paper towels. Serve with tzatziki, pita bread, tomatoes and onions.

I don’t make this all the time because I’ve had some disastrous experiences on my way to getting it right!  But, when I do make it, its gone in a few minutes.  It’s one of the few meals that everyone in my house agrees on!  And the Tzaziki sauce can go with a lot more than just falafel, which is just a suggestion.  Serve it with pita bread or pita chips (this is a GREAT alternative to regular chips and dip, if you are ready for a change!), put it on wraps or pita sandwiches (perfect with meats like turkey or chicken), or make a veggie dip platter…We use leftovers the next night and make grilled veggie pitas with the leftover tzatziki.  It’s fantastic!   Enjoy!

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Tasty Tuesday: Falafel and Tzatziki

Course Main

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 6

MidgetMomma

Ingredients

• Tzatziki-
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 1/2 tsp dill
• kosher salt & pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cucumber
• Falafel-
• 2 cans of chickpeas mashed with a potato masher, not a food processor
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 lg onion finely chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 Tbs Cumin
• 2 Tbs Coriander
• 1 pinch of cayenne and I mean a pinch!
• 2 handfuls of finely chopped parsley
• 1 handful of finely chopped cilantro
• 1 cup of plain breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• Veggie oil

Instructions

1. Tzatziki-
2. Peel the cucumber and then slice it in half and then in half again lengthwise and scoop out the seeds in the middle.
3. Slice it up into smaller pieces and put them on top of paper towels and sprinkle them with kosher salt and let them dry for a bit. (I usually wait about an hour)
4. Squeeze the slices to get out as much moisture as you can. (you want them as dry as you can get them)
5. Put these into a blender with the garlic, dill and lemon juice.
6. Mix that with the sour cream and Greek yogurt in a large mixing bowl and add kosher salt and pepper. (You're going to add quite a bit of kosher salt before it tastes right, but you should know-every sprinkle makes a big difference in how the sauce tastes)
7. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The longer it sits, the better the flavors will mix, so feel free to make this ahead of time!
8. Falafel-
9. Just mash all of this together in a bowl until you get a texture that can be molded into patties. I make small , round patties that I can fit into pita bread. I tried using a food processor for this job and it was a disaster because it came out too fine and the patties fell apart in the oil!
10. Heat enough oil in a pan so that the falafel has enough room to float (or use a fryer!) You want the oil hot but not so hot that it will disturb the falafel when you put it into the pan-think like when you make fried chicken and you don't want all the breading to fall off when it hits the oil lol. Falafel is very delicate so frying them is the hardest part!
11. Then just fry them until they are golden brown and pull them out and drain them on paper towels
12. Serve with tzatziki, pita bread, tomatoes and onions.