Falafel sharing platter with rice, garlic potatoes and tahini

COOK IT AT HOME

Falafel sharing platter with rice, garlic potatoes and tahini

A falafel family meal needs more than a bowl of chickpea mixture. This recipe takes dried chickpeas through soaking, grinding, shaping and frying, then includes rice, potatoes, salad, hummus, tahini and bread. It makes twelve large patties for a four-person sharing table; for individual falafel bowls, serve the patties with salad, tahini and bread and keep the starch sides optional.

Makes

4 servings; 12 large falafel patties

Prep

45 minutes

Cook

45 minutes

Additional time

18–24 hours refrigerated soaking; 30 minutes mixture chilling

A home-kitchen recipe to accompany this guide. Ingredient brands and equipment can change cooking times; use the texture and doneness cues below.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups dried chickpeas (about 300 g), not canned
• 6 cups water for soaking, plus 1½ cups for rice
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, divided
• 1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed
• ½ cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1¾ teaspoons fine salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons chickpea flour, if needed
• 3 cups neutral oil for frying in a suitable pan
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
• 1 lb potatoes, diced ¾ inch
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cups chopped romaine
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons cold water for tahini
• 1½ cups prepared hummus
• 4 pita breads

Step-by-step method

1. Cover dried chickpeas with 6 cups water in a large bowl and refrigerate 18–24 hours. Drain thoroughly and dry on a clean towel; do not boil. Process in batches with onion, 2 garlic cloves, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper until finely granular and able to hold together when squeezed, not a smooth hummus paste.
2. Cover and refrigerate mixture 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt; roast 30–35 minutes, turning once. Mince remaining garlic and add during the last 5 minutes.
3. Cook rice with 1½ cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt: bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low 15 minutes, then rest covered 10 minutes. Whisk tahini with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and cold water. Combine lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes; reserve a dressing of remaining olive oil, remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
4. Stir baking powder into chilled falafel mixture. If it cannot hold a patty, mix in up to 2 tablespoons chickpea flour. Shape twelve patties approximately 2½ inches wide and ½ inch thick.
5. Heat frying oil to 350°F in a heavy pan, with oil no more than one-third of the pan depth. Fry one test patty for 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden and cooked through; adjust thickness if the middle remains raw-tasting. Fry remaining patties in small batches, restoring oil temperature between batches, and drain well.
6. Warm pita in a dry pan, dress salad and arrange all components. Serve three large patties per person with rice, garlic potatoes, hummus and tahini; keep cold dips in separate dishes.

Helpful tips & substitutions

• Canned chickpeas are not a direct substitute in this dried-chickpea method and often make a fragile mixture.
• Never taste the raw mixture; check a fully cooked test patty.
• Use a thermometer for frying oil and keep water away from the pan.

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerate falafel, rice and potatoes in shallow containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days; reheat hot components to 165°F. Refrigerate dips separately and dress only the salad being served.

How to serve it

Pickled turnips make a useful tart contrast to the fried falafel.