Falafel pita Pocket sandwiches, warm pita bread layered with crispy falafels, fresh veggies, layers, creamy tahini and hummus. Perfect middle-eastern sandwiches for Breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.
These tasty falafel pita pocket sandwiches are one of the most popular Middle eastern vegetarian wraps that taste incredibly delicious.
Falafel is one of my most favourite middle eastern snack. And, falafel stuffed in a pita pocket makes one of the most satisfying ways to eat them. If you have not tried making falafel at home, you can try my recipe to make Crunchy Authentic falafel here.
Falafel is traditionally made with a grainy mixture of soaked chickpea/garbanzo beans. In Hindi, these are known as Kabuli chana or safed chole. Overnight soaked chickpeas are ground coarsely with a few basic spices. The grainy mixture is then shaped into balls, which are deep-fried or baked for a healthier recipe.
Falafel recipes are full of nutrition and have the advantage of being vegetarian, and vegan. To make Lebanese falafel stuffed in pita bread, a tangy, garlicky, creamy dip is poured along with the falafel.
I like to serve them with a tangy fresh tahini sauce, fresh lettuce, crispy cucumbers and slices of fresh tomatoes.
How To Make Falafel Pita Sandwich
Falafel with pita bread is the popular combination. Fluffy, soft Pita bread is is one of the everyday bread in the Middle East.
Falafel bread is perfect to make pita pockets. When cut in the middle it opens up like pockets. You can make a variety of pita pocket sandwiches using your favorite stuffings. I added fresh slices of tomatoes, cucumbers, and falafel balls.
Falafel is the popular Mediterranean street food. These deep fried chickpeas balls are loved for its unique flavour and crunchiness.
This Middle-Eastern falafel pita pocket is another scrumptious street food that is popular not only in the United States but in our country as well. Hot and crunchy falafel balls, cool diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, and hummus wrapped in warm pita bread. Each bite is filled with juicy, creamy crunchy goodness packed with flavour.
What is Falafel
Falafel is a popular Middle-eastern Deep-fried snack made with a coarse mixture of garbanzo beans or Kabuli chana, herbs, and spices. Falafel bullets or balls are made with soaked and dried chickpeas, chopped parsley, coriander, jalapenos, and herbs and spices.
All these ingredients are ground together to make a coarse mixture. Small balls are then shaped from the mixture and deep-fried to make falafels.
Falafel Pita Pocket Ingredients
Ingredients for making Falafel
Dried Chickpeas,Gram flour
Veggies and fresh herbs: parsley, coriander, and jalapenos.
Spices and Seasonings: Coriander powder, paprika, cumin powder, salt, and red chili flakes.
Ingredients for Falafel Pita Pocket sandwich
Pita bread
Veggies: lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes
Hummus and Tahini Sauce
Falafel Pita Pockets Step by step
First, start by washing and soaking chickpeas overnight or for 6-7 hours.
Chop parsley, coriander, and jalapenos. Discard the seeds of jalapenos then chop them into pieces.
Place drained soaked chickpeas with chopped parsley, coriander, and jalapenos in the food processor. Then sprinkle some salt, coriander powder, paprika, cumin powder, gram flour, and red chili flakes.
Cover and process at high speed (in pulse function) to make a coarse mixture.
The texture of the mixture should be coarse after grinding. Shape falafels into balls or any shape of your choice.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil reaches the smoke point carefully drop falafel balls in the hot oil. Deep fry them for 3-4 minutes and then take them out.
Cut Pita into two halves. Open the upper layer of one of the pita to make pockets. Warm the pita by whizzing it for 30 sec in microwave (optional)
With a spoon, spread hummus inside the pita, layer it with lettuce, cucumber, sliced tomatoes, and falafel balls.
Drizzle some tahini sauce over it and enjoy warm pita pocket sandwiches.
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Recipe Notes
- If you are making falafel mixture for the first time and consistency of the batter is not perfect. You can add a tablespoon or two of chickpeas flour.
- Adding a pinch of baking soda keeps them light.
- Soak kabuli chana or garbanzo beans overnight and then use it to make falafel. Do not use canned or cooked beans. After soaking the chickpeas, drain them well.
- Don’t over blend the falafel mixture, the mixture should be coarse and not smooth.
- Allow the mixture to rest for 20 minutes before frying, so that it binds together.
How to Make Hummus for Pita pockets
To make falafel, hummus for a pita recipe you need chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon and salt. Chickpeas are the base of hummus and this tangy creamy spread tastes perfect with pita pockets. It is mostly served as a side or dish, but in a pita pocket sandwich, this adds a creamy tangy layer so you must use it.
Another add-on component for a good pita sandwich is tahini sauce. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds and tastes absolutely incredible. You can make tahini sauce for falafel from scratch or buy it from the store.
To make Tahini sauce at home you need to make tahini paste first. For making tahini paste, grind sesame seeds with olive oil and you can store that in the fridge for a long time.
To make Tahini sauce from tahini paste, add salt and lemon juice along with a couple of tablespoons of warm water and blend them well to make the silky smooth tahini sauce.
To Make Them Ahead
Pita pockets can be prepared early as well. You can dice the vegetables and keep them in the refrigerator. You can even keep the falafel mixture in the refrigerator to make falafel.
How to Serve Falafel Pita Pockets
Falafel pita pockets are perfect for any occasion, time, or place. You can serve these warm pita falafel sandwiches with a cool mocktail for lunch or pack it in lunch boxes for a delicious, fulfilling meal.
Once you have made falafel balls, pita pockets can be prepared in another 10 minutes.
If you love and enjoy Mediterranean street food, this easy to make falafel pita pockets are perfect. It is like enjoying juicy vegetarian meatballs wrapped in diced cucumber, onions with garlicky, tangy hummus and tahini.
More Such Recipes You can Try
- Eggplant Sandwich Recipe
- Lebanese Falafel Pita Sandwich
- Falafel salad recipe with Tahini
- Falafel Recipe
- Muhammara Recipe
- Baba Ganoush Recipe
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How to make falafel pita pockets
Ingredients
- ½ cup Parsley chopped
- 2 Jalapenos chopped
- ¼ cup Coriander chopped
- 2 cup Chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 2 tablespoon Gram flour
- ½ teaspoon Red chili
- Oil
- Pita bread
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Hummus
Instructions
- To make Falafel salad wash and soak chickpeas overnight or for 6-7 hours.
- Chop ½ cup parsley, ¼ cup coriander, and 2 jalapenos. When you are chopping the jalapenos discard the seeds of jalapenos then chop them to pieces.
- Keep the chopped vegetables and herbs in three separate bowls.
- To make falafel, place drained soaked chickpeas with chopped parsley, coriander, and jalapenos in the food processor.
- Then sprinkle some salt, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 2 tablespoon gram flour, and ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes.
- Cover and process at high speed (in pulse function) to make a coarse mixture.
- The texture of the mixture should be coarse after grinding.
- Take a handful of the mixture and shape the mixture into balls or any shape of your choice.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil reaches the smoke point carefully drop falafel balls in the hot oil. Deep fry them for 3-4 minutes and then take them out.
- You can air fry them if you wish to.
- Take a knife and cut pita bread into two halves. Make pockets in one half and spread a layer of hummus or tahini (whichever you have) in the pocket. Then layer it with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and falafel balls. Top the pita pockets with creamy hummus and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips
- If you are making falafel mixture for the first time and worry about its consistency, you can add refined flour for the binding as well.
- Adding baking soda keeps them light.
- Soak kabuli chana or garbanzo beans overnight and then use it to make pita pockets. Do not use canned or cooked beans. After soaking the chickpeas, drain them well.
- Don’t over blend the falafel mixture, the mixture should be coarse and not smooth.
- Allow the mixture to rest for 20 minutes before frying, so that they bind together.
Lucy Daniel
Looks like a delicious recipe! I like to add lemon zest as well to my falafel mix. Although it is not traditional, but brings some zesty brightness to the dish.
Rekha Kakkar
Thanks Lucy! If adding lemon zest adds flavour and make it better why not 🙂 I am all for better taste and personalisation of food and I also feel lemon zest will taste good will try that next time