Falafel. Sweet, sweet falafel. Need I say more?

As you know, I have always had a love for Middle Eastern fare (excuse some of the pre- me knowing about the white balance button on my camera! Can we say… yellow photos! haha).  Anyhow, you may remember me telling you that I have a Lebanese Uncle (which is how my love for Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food started at a young age)? And let me tell you… I love it all: hummus, kefta, kibbeh, ma’anik, baba ganoush, hashwey… BIG FAN of those.

One of my all time  favorites, though, is Falafel. Crispy, delicious, and savory falafel! It’s the one treat that I HAVE to find when visiting big cities (the Falafel joints in South Florida are extremely limited, people!)! While visiting Washington D.C., we may have dragged my sister in-law on the public transit to a semi-seedy part of town… then we might have forced her to walk a couple of miles in flip flops (ouch)… just to get to this well known Falafel joint to try their amazing falafels (True story. And yes, it was totally worth the trip)! We also MAY have dragged her back there a second time that trip. haha

It was D.C. that changed hubby’s mind about Falafel. He used to gag at the sound of it, but after one bite of those glorious falafels, he was sold.

Thankfully convincing him that Falafel burgers were a great dinner idea this week was pretty darn easy! These burgers were DELICIOUS (and super filling… I could only eat a half!)! The mix of the Tahini and Tzatziki was a perfect compliment! Add whatever toppings you would like: Tomatoes, Red Onion, Lettuce, Cucumber, Kalamata olives, Feta… etc! We kept it super simple with fresh tomato and cucumber.

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Falafel Burgers with Tahini and Tzatziki

Yield: 4 large (or 6 smaller sized) patties

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 25-30 minutes

This is one vegetarian burger option that will have you forgetting that there is no meat!

Ingredients:

For the Tzatziki:
7 ounces Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup peeled and diced seedless cucumber
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
pinch of black pepper

For the Tahini Sauce:
1/3 cup tahini paste
1/2 lemon juiced
3 tablespoons water
salt and pepper to taste

For the Falafel Bugers:
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 small red onion
3 tablespoons flour
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 Rolls
tomatoes
sliced cucumber

Other toppings ideas: Lettuce, Red Onion, Feta, Kalamata Olives

Directions:

For the Tzatziki:
MIx all ingredients together and set aside.

For the Tahini Sauce:
Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

For the Falafel Bugers:
Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, flour, and spices (cumin, chili powder, coriander, tumeric, and salt) into the food processor and pulse until combined (add additional flour until it holds together). Divide mixture into equal sized patties (we made 4 large, but they were HUGE, and I will probably make it into 6 next time).

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add two falafel patties to the pre-heated skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Gently flip patties (they are fragile!), and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside (either keep in a warm oven or under some aluminum foil). Add the remaining olive oil and repeat process with remaining 2 patties.

To serve: toast up buns for a few minutes under the broiler. Spread some tahini sauce on the bottom bun and top with a falafel patty. Top with desired toppings followed by a dallop of tzatziki. Serve while hot!

Falafel Patties Adapted from: Rachel Ray