Baked falafel snack pockets

Method

1. Cover the dried chickpeas with at least three times their volume of cold water and soak for 12 hours. Drain, rinse, then spread them on a clean towel and dry thoroughly. Wet chickpeas make a loose mixture.
2. Pulse the drained chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, ground coriander, and salt in a food processor. Scrape down several times. Stop when the mixture resembles coarse damp crumbs and holds when squeezed. Do not puree it into hummus.
3. Fold in the baking powder, chickpea flour, and 15 ml olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flour hydrates.
4. Heat the oven to 220°C. Brush a 30 by 40 cm sheet pan with the remaining 15 ml oil. Divide the mixture into 24 portions of about 30 g, compress each firmly, and flatten to about 1.5 cm thick.
5. Arrange the falafel with space between them. Bake for 12 minutes, turn carefully, then bake for 8 to 13 minutes more. They are ready when deeply golden at the edges, firm enough to lift cleanly, and moist but not pasty inside.
6. Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. It may seize at first. Whisk in the cold water gradually until smooth and thick enough to spoon without running out of a pita.
7. Warm the pita only if serving immediately. Fill each half with cabbage, cucumber, and 3 falafel. Spoon in sauce only for immediate eating. For travel, cool and pack the components separately.

Storage and transport

• Spread cooked falafel in one layer so steam escapes. Refrigerate in a shallow container as soon as the heavy steam stops and always within 2 hours of cooking. Do not seal hot falafel into a deep box.
• Refrigerate falafel, vegetables, and sauce at 4°C or colder and use within 3 days. Store pita separately at room temperature according to its package. Reheat falafel uncovered at 190°C until steaming hot, then cool again promptly if packing cold.
• Freeze fully cooled falafel in one layer, then transfer to an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Do not freeze assembled pockets, cucumber, cabbage, or tahini sauce.
• For travel, put chilled falafel, vegetables, and sauce in sealed containers inside an insulated bag with two frozen cold sources, one above and one below. These filled pockets cannot travel safely without cold sources. Assemble immediately before eating so the pita stays firm.
• The maximum cumulative time out of refrigeration is 2 hours, or 1 hour when the surrounding temperature is above 32°C. Discard portions that exceed that limit rather than chilling them again.

Notes

• Allergens: sesame in tahini and wheat in standard pita. A gluten-free version requires verified gluten-free pita, chickpea flour, and baking powder, but it still contains sesame.
• Dried soaked chickpeas provide the structure. Cooked or tinned chickpeas contain too much moisture for this exact baked formula.
• If a squeezed portion cracks apart after chilling, pulse the mixture a few more times before adding any extra flour. Too much flour makes the centre dry and dense.
• Keep the sauce separate until eating. A sauced pocket softens quickly and is less secure in a lunch bag.

Sources consulted

• Good Food: Baked falafel
• FDA: Are You Storing Food Safely?
• USDA FSIS: Keeping Bag Lunches Safe
• FDA: Food Allergies, What You Need to Know

From Christoph Mayer

Enjoyed this? Buy us a coffee ☕