August 13, 2015
updated
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I love falafels. They are bite-sized pieces of deliciousness filled with my favorite Mediterranean flavors. The other day, I made some for dinner, and I happened to get lucky and have leftovers for the next day. For lunch, I turned a couple of the falafels into a delicious lunch idea: stuffed flatbreads with tzatziki sauce.
When I lived in Berlin, many years ago (1994), I indulged in a lot of Turkish and Greek food. By far, my favorite of these delicious foods was these handheld flatbreads stuffed with falafels.
They were sold in street kiosks and were made fresh to order. The flatbreads were stuffed with fresh veggies, falafels, and lots of tzatziki sauce. Tzatziki sauce is a Greek yogurt and cucumber based sauce that is good on everything. When I say everything, I mean, everything!
Now, as an adult, I make my own falafels at home. I love them by themselves and I usually use them to top a large green salad drizzled with tzatziki sauce on top. Of course, my husband needs a little more substance so I stuffed some whole-wheat Toufayan flatbreads with his falafels.
While the original falafels I enjoyed long ago had a lot of parsley, I had to pick my battles when creating a version to make at home. Oh you know, parsley is green and my kids are not fond of green speckles in their food. Even without the parsley, however, I feel that these falafels are a close competitor to the ones I enjoyed many years ago.
Once you have all your ingredients, making these falafel stuffed pitas is a breeze. Now you know why I love leftovers! It’s instant fast -and healthy- food. Make these falafels the night before and they become a healthy grab-and-go lunch option.
For that reason, I included the recipe in my first cookbook, The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet. How could I have a lunches book without my beloved falafels? And then, I realized that I forgot to include the Greek sauce! Yes, there is something that happens to an author after the book goes to print that drives me crazy: the realization that you “forgot” to add something (nevermind that there are over 200 recipes in the book).
Luckily, I wrote a second cookbook called The Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet where I made sure I included my tzatziki sauce (in the book I called it Yanni’s Greek Dip). And in case you are wondering, I also remembered recipes from the past I forgot to add to that book as well. Go figure.
In the end, the recipes are there, inside my cookbooks for many years to come reminding me of my amazing adventures back in 1994 where I ate my fair share of street-made falafel stuffed flatbreads.
Have you tried falafels? Do you use flatbreads at home? If so, what do you stuff them with?
Falafel Stuffed Flatbreads
Ingredients
Falafels:
- ½ cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight , or 1 cup canned chickpeas
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 fresh parsley sprig, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil to pan fry
Greek Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cucumber, peeled
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon salt
Flatbreads:
- 6 flatbreads, for serving
- Green lettuce leaves or salad greens
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
Instructions
The falafels:
- Drain and rinse chickpeas from soaking overnight or canned chickpeas.
- In a food processor, mix chickpeas with all ingredients until it becomes a smooth thick paste.
- With wet hands, form dough into small balls, the size of a large walnut. Press down to form 1 ½ inch patties. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little bit more breadcrumbs. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water.
- Pan-fry falafels in an oiled pot over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes each side, or until sides are brown. Remove falafel onto a paper towel-lined plate and blot excess oil with additional paper towels.
The Tzatziki sauce:
- Grate the cucumber on top of a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Ring out the excess water over the sink, then transfer it inside a medium bowl.
- To the cucumber, add the garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days or until ready to serve.
Serve:
- Place a flatbread on a flat surface, layer greens, tomatoes, and a few slices of cucumbers. Place 1-2 falafels on top, and drizzle with tzatziki sauce. Fold the flatbread and enjoy.
Nutrition
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Joanne Katzman
This recipe lists the ingredients for the Greek Yogurt sauce but doesn’t explain how to make the sauce. To make the sauce should I mix all the listed ingredients in the food processor? This is not clear.
Laura Fuentes
Hi Joanne, thank you for catching that! I missed a paragraph when typing it up. It’s been updated.
Allison
Ok, when I try to pan fry them, they completely disintegrate. What am I doing wrong? I tried more oil, less oil…and they weren’t sticky or crumbly. Ugh.
Laura Fuentes
It will depend if you used canned chickpeas, these tend to make the mixture more “wet” than using dry, soaked chickpeas. I would add a bit more bread-crumbs to the mixture to hold them.
Fouzia
Hi,
Can I airfry the falafels ? If yes for how long
Thanks!
Laura Fuentes
Yes! airfrying them would work perfectly!
Carey
Hi there, I’m wondering if these can be baked rather than fried. And, if so, should I change anything in the recipe? Thanks!
Laura Fuentes
They can be baked at 375F for approximately 20-25 minutes, depending how thick you make them. make sure to grease/spray the baking sheet and the tops so they crisp up. Enjoy!
Julie
Okay, sorry, I am confused. The recipe says it is for falafel stuffed flatbread, but think it is just for the falafel? What do you use for the sandwich? Also, it says it makes 12 – 15 1/2 inch falafels. But the directions say to use 1 1/2 inch balls? How do I get them 15 1/2 inches from that? Can you please clarify for me?
Thanks! I really want to try these.
Laura Fuentes
Julie, the recipe itself is for the falafels. The flatbread is an ingredient purchased separately used to make a sandwich/stuffed falafel. The directions say to make dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, to press down, and pan-fry. In step 3, it asks to make 1 1/2 inch patties (from pressing down the ball shaped dough). I put (parenthesis) around the yield. The spacing made it look funny. You should get 12-15 falafels that are 1 1/2 inches (+/-) big. I hope this helps!
Gina
Hello! I love reading your recipes and blog! I’ve been a Momables stalker, I mean follower, for a few years now. I’m looking forward to trying these falafels, I think the sauce will encourage dipping and I’ve always loved falafel but thought it a daunting task to make it at home. Thanks for the creativity and variety!
Laura Fuentes
I’m happy to have you along for the (stalking) ride Gina! 😉 The sauce…
Aj
I have never tried it but I will! Sounds delish!
Lisa Tulak
So does this mean we may look forward to a third book? 🙂 For the recipes you are remembering from back in the day. Lol Can’t wait <3
Laura Fuentes
yes… you can look forward to another (final) book. 🙂
Faith
I’ve never heard of a falafel let alone eaten one, but I must try, it looks wonderful. I do use flatbreads on occasion for sandwhichs.
puRpLepuFfiN823
Falafels are delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Susan
It’s been a while since I’ve made falafel, but your post is making me think I need to try again with your recipe. We often stuff flatbreads with tabbouleh, gyro meat, hummus. Thanks for posting the recipes!
Virginia N
we have never tried farfels, i love flatbread and using them to make wraps with lunchmeat and cheese or chicken salad inside
Heidi
My mom used to make homemade falafels. I have yet to try it, but will do so now! Pita bread is a mainstay in our house. We often stuff them with sardines or tuna fish and cheese/tomato.
Monica Farahnakian
My family and I have never tired falafels. I am going to have to give this recipe a try. We do use flatbreads for wraps usually stuffed with grill chicken and veggies.
Talia B.
I love falafel. Yummy! We do use flatbreads from time to time, but haven’t found any decent ones around with decent ingredient list.
Charlene A.
Yes, I’ve made homemade falafel a few times. I stuff them with the usual – tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers. Love that you included a garlic sauce here. Thanks 🙂
Amy Osburn
I just tried Falafels two weeks ago in Boston and have been talking about them ever since. You must be reading my mind. Thank you for sharing this.
Michelle
I adore falafel and tzatziki. I have never made falafel from scratch, but have often made tzatziki. I especially like to stuff the falafel in an pita with tabouli have and then top with the tzatziki. Oh yum. Makes me want to go to the Mediterranean restaurant!
Kristina
My friend made me amazing falafels once. I was definitely skeptical before that. I enjoy making flatbread and often just use it as a side for indian or greek food (great for scooping up dips or curries). Most recently though I have been making shortcut versions of gyros. Not authentic but often taste pretty close!
Laura B
I’ve never tried falafels, and I don’t use flatbreads at home, reading this makes me think I should try though! I have a tendency to buy the same things each week, this would be a good ‘outside of the box’ idea!
Lisa Fisher
I’v eaten falafel several times but never made it at home. It would be a fun thing to make on a theme night to encourage my 5 year old to try new foods. I’ve used flatbreads at home before, but for quick pizzas, not a wrap.
Sindee Hernandez
We have never tired either, I’m curious to know if my kids would like falafels. I have read alot of Greek recipes, but I’m reluctant to try them, only because my kids tend to shy away from anything “different”.
Joyce Ward
I LOVE falafel! My brother introduced it to me when he started working at this great little greek restaurant in college. He would bring my pregnant self some home every night. I still go there for my falafel fix. Never thought about making my own I figured it would be very complicated. Definitely going to have to give this recipe a try and the tzatziki sounds amazing. I have purchased tzatziki at the store but often the portions are too big and I wind up wasting over half. Knowing how to make it will definitely allow me to control portions and reduce waste.
summer
I’ve never tried a falafel, but there is an amazing Greek Festival near our hometown that I’ve always wanted to go to- I bet they have awesome falafels and baklava! My son loves flatbread cheese sandwiches and pizza sandwiches for his school lunches. I’ve also put hummus and veggies in a flatbread sandwich.
Norma-Jean
I love falafals, but have never tried to make them at home. This recipe looks very easy –
I’m into easy – and sounds delicious! I eat quite a few vegetarian meals during the week,
and this would be another to add to the rotation. The tzatziki sauce sounds great too!
Michelle Spott
LOVE falafel, but never made at home. Never used flatbread at home either!! Tons of new ideas to try!!!
Morgan Morrison
I love falafels! Have always been intimidated to try cooking them myself tho!
Jillian
I’ve never tried a falafel, but I think I could manage this recipe! I have Celiac disease, but I can definitely modify this to be gluten free, especially with the Toufayan gluten free wraps. The sauce sounds delicious!
Debbie Hausher
My daughter spent the summer traveling in Europe and came home raving about Tzaztiki sauce so I’ll definitely be trying your recipe.
Ashlee R
I have never tried falafel, I thought it was complicated. I will try it now, thank. We like to eat out flat bread broken up in large pieces as part of a Mediterranean night. My kids dip it in their hummus and then eat chicken, olives, and the cucumber tomato salad as separate parts. My husband and I eat all that goodness wrapped inside out pieces of flat bread with a cucumber dill sauce. It is one of our favorite meals.
Candy
I’ve never made falafels before – I will have to try it. My oldest starts kindergarten this week and she has recently swore off all vegetables (she used to eat them all). I bet she would love the sauce, maybe that will help. 🙂
Kim
I have never even heard of falafels but I do love that sauce on gyros! This is definitely one I will be trying! We use flatbreads for all kinds of stuff – our own versions of quesadillas, tacos, sub sandwiches…and now a new adventure with falafels. Thanks for the multitude of ideas you provide. I wish my kids would appreciate the food as much as I do – it’s hard but I try to never give up
Sarah Gore
I have never tried falafel before. I do make gyros and my family loves those. I do like to make a variety of foods for them and can’t wait to try this recipe.
Alexis
I have not tried falafels and I’m not sure why. Sounds like something I’d love. Going on the menu right away. Hoping My 4 year old will love them too! I usually use flatbread for quick pizza lunches.
Julie Werner
I have discovered a new love for Mediterranean food! Why oh why haven’t I ever tried a falafel before?! I cannot WAIT to try this recipe!!! I have bought flatbread before. We either eat it warmed up with butter on it, or make a wrap with leftover rotisserie chicken, tomatoes and lettuce with ranch dressing. I am so excited to try your tzatziki sauce! It does go great on so many things. My sister makes an amazing gyro quiche… And you just can’t eat it without tzatziki sauce!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe ideas!!! 🙂
G
We love falafel and flatbreads, If we aren’t stuffing them with falafel there is always hummus, raw or roasted veggies or making them into pita chips for dipping or fattoush salad! yum!!
Julie
I love falafel but I’ve never made it for my family. I love to order it at Mediterranean restaurants though! I’ll try this recipe and hopefully my kids will like it…I know my husband will. 🙂 We love flatbread! They make great little pizzas.
Aline Grigorian
Love this recipe! However, I’d be the only one in my family who would eat it. My daughter likes sunflower seed butter in her flatbread. 🙂
Dona Perkins
LOVE LOVE LOVE anything and everything Greek! I haven’t made falafels in a while so I am definitely adding them to the meal plan this week. And the sauce looks scrumptious! 🙂
Christy Simonds
I also love falafel and tzatziki dip. My daughter likes it too. Like I said she is pretty easy to get to eat new things. I credit food network. Lol.
Kaila Davidson
I love falafel! I will have to try this! I have never made it myself, just ordered it at the mall at the booth that sells different ethnic foods. I also love flatbreads, and I stuff them with anything. Usually breakfast type wraps! Or salads for lunch!
Tracie M
I have not had falafel, but your recipe looks great and I may give it a try! I have used flatbread when I make gyros and I love the tzatziki sauce.
Tracey
I have never tried falafels, they sound delicious though 🙂 We use pita and flat breads often. Usually to wrap some type of yummy meat up with some yummy veggies. 🙂 My middle son LOVES tacos and pita and/or flat breads are a great switch up from tortillas 🙂
Rachael S
Never tried falafels but they seem easy enough to make! We use flat breads for turkey, avacado, bacon ranch sandwiches, or toast it with pizza fillings.
Anna
I love falafels. My daughter has a ton of allergies, and falafels are easy to fit into her diet. My kids love them.
Janette
Love falafel, and this recipe is much more doable than my old one (many, many spices and things that made it hard to just whip up). With be trying both of these!
Krystal Watson
We love falafel, but I have never made it from scratch like this. I’ve only used boxed mix. I have made tzaziki before and it’s so good. If we buy pita/flatbread, it’s usually for falafel with tzaziki, feta, and greens. Yum!
Theresa O
I have never had falafel and we don’t use flatbreads, but we’ll have to start now after seeing this and reading your raving reviews! The sauce sounds amazing and just like one of my favorite dips for veggies and pretzels. My concern is just that the sandwich looks so big, and my kids are still very small.
Laura Fuentes
Theresa, you can just make it open and send the falafels in a compartment, the flatbread on another with some sauce to dip.
Jennifer McDonald
Yes, I’ve tried falafels in the past and they were an total disaster, from prep all the way to eating…So I’ve not tried them since…
Erica H
I have never had a falafel, I must put that on my list of things to try now! Wonder if my kids would eat it……..