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While falafel is a good source of fiber, protein and many micronutrients, Falafel Wraps raise health concerns with their fat and calorie content but if one cheat meal is allowed, we are definitely binging on this Middle Eastern fast food tonight. If you are a foodie who is craving Middle Eastern fare this mid-week, try whipping up some Lebanese-inspired Falafel wraps that may help curb your appetite with its mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs and spices.
Falafel helps maintain and promote a healthy digestive system courtesy its fiber content. According to Michigan State University Extension, falafel is also good for building muscle, especially lean muscle, since it is a good source of high protein that helps our bodies produce amino acids which are lean muscle’s building blocks.
Falafel wraps take only 20-25 minutes to prepare and 25-30 minutes cooking time to serve 4-5. On that positive note, check out the recipe of falafel wraps here and thank us later:
For tahini
Ingredients:
White sesame seeds 2 cups
Olive oil 1/4th cup -½ cup
Salt to taste
Method:
Set a pan on medium heat, add the white sesame seeds and toast them until they release their aroma and the colour changes slightly. Make sure not to over toast the seeds.
Immediately transfer the toasted sesame seeds in a blending jar and blend while the sesame seeds are warm, while the blending process, the sesame seeds will leave their own oil as they are warm and it will turn into thick paste.
Further add 1/4th - ½ cup olive oil gradually to make a semi thick fine paste. The quantity of olive oil may differ on your mixer grinder.
Once the paste is made, season with salt and blend again.
Homemade Tahini is ready! Cool down to room temperature and store in an airtight container, refrigerate in the fridge, it stays good for about a month.
For hummus
Ingredients:
Chickpeas 1 cups (soak for 7-8 hours)
Salt to taste
Ice cubes 1-2 nos.
Garlic 2-3 cloves
Homemade Tahini paste 1/3rd cup
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Method:
Wash the chickpea and soak for 7-8 hours or overnight. After soaking, drain the water.
Transfer the soaked chickpea in a pressure cooker, along with it, add salt to taste and fill water up to 1 inch above the chickpea surface.
Pressure cook the chickpea for 3-4 whistles on medium heat.
After the Whistles, switch off the flame and let the cooker depressurize naturally to open the lid.
The chickpea should be completely cooked.
Strain the chickpea and reserve the water for later use and allow the cooked chickpea to cool down.
Further, transfer the cooked chickpea in a blending jar, and further add 1 cup of reserved chickpea water, ice cubes and garlic cloves, grind to a fine paste while adding additional 1- 1.5 cup reserved chickpea water, add the water gradually while grinding.
Further, add homemade Tahini paste, salt to taste, lemon juice and olive oil, blend the mixture again until it's smooth in texture.
Hummus is ready, refrigerate until it's used.
For falafel
Ingredients:
Chickpeas (Kabuli chana) 1 cup
Onions ½ cup (diced)
Garlic 6-7 cloves
Green chillies 2-3 nos.
Parsley 1 cup packed
Fresh coriander ½ cup packed
Fresh mint few sprigs
Spring onions greens 1/3rd cup
Jeera powder 1 tbsp
Dhaniya powder 1 tbsp
Lal mirch powder 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Black pepper a pinch
Olive oil 1-2 tbsp
Sesame seeds 1-2 tbsp
Flour 2-3 tbsp
Oil for frying
Method:
Wash the chickpea and soak for 7-8 hours or overnight. After soaking, drain the water and transfer in a food processor.
Further add the remaining ingredients (until sesame seeds) and blend using a pulse mode. Make sure to grind in intervals and not continuously.
Open the jar lid and scrap the sides to grind the mixture evenly into a coarse mixture.
Add olive oil gradually while blending.
Make sure the mixture should neither be too coarse nor too pasty.
If in case you do not have a food processor use a mixer grinder and blend the mixture, make sure to do it in batches to ease the work and make sure to keep the mixture coarse and not pasty.
Once the mixture is grinded coarsely add flour and sesame seeds, mix well and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. While it's resting you can make other components of the recipe.
After the rest in the refrigerator add, remove and add 1 TSP of baking soda and mix well.
Dip your fingers in cold water and take a spoonful of mixture and shape into tikki.
Set a wok on medium heat and heat oil for frying, fry the tikki in hot oil on medium heat until it's crisp and golden brown. Fry all the tikkis in the same way.
For salad
Ingredients:
Fresh lettuce ½ cup
Tomatoes ½ cup
Onions ½ cup
Cucumber ½ cup
Fresh coriander ⅓ cup
Lemon juice 2 TSP
Salt to taste
Black pepper a pinch
Olive oil 1 TSP
Method:
Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well, refrigerate until it's served.
Assembly
For wraps
Ingredients:
Pita bread
Hummus
Fried falafel
Salad
Garlic sauce
Hot sauce
Method:
Spread efficient amount of hummus over the pita bread, place the fried falafel, salad and drizzle some garlic dip and hot dip. Roll and serve immediately.
For bowl
Ingredients:
Hummus
Fried falafel
Salad
Pita bread
Method:
Spread a portion full of hummus in a bowl, place the salad, some fried falafel, drizzle some garlic dip and hot dip, place some pita bread aside, add some olive oil and olives and sprinkle some red chilli powder over the hummus. Serve immediately.
(Recipe: Chef Sanjyot Keer, Founder of Your Food Lab)
Which Lebanese cuisine makes your mouth water?
