Falafel, Lebanese Falafel stuffed in Pita Bread by Tarla Dalal

Falafel, an all-time favourite Lebanese dish.
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Falafel
An all-time favourite Lebanese dish, Falafel can classify as a sumptuous snack or a meal in its own right depending on when you have it! Here, unleavened pita bread is lined with tongue-tickling garlic chutney, topped with a tangy curd dressing and packed with scrumptious deep-fried ‘bullets’ made of a kabuli chana batter. This Middle-Eastern delight is quite filling, and looks and tastes exotic as well, so you can serve it with tea or at a party too. Serve the Falafel as soon as you assemble it, because it will get soggy if you let it soak in the dressing for too long.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes.
Cooking Time: 20 minutes.
Makes 9 falafels.
Soaking Time: Overnight.

For the bullets
½ cup kabuli chana (white chick peas), soaked overnight and drained
1 tbsp chopped garlic (lehsun)
¼ cup chopped onions
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves (phudina)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera) powder
Salt to taste
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp green chilli paste
Oil for deep-frying

To be mixed into a dressing
1 cup whisked curds (dahi)
¼ cup chopped spring onions (whites and greens)
½ tsp chopped garlic (lehsun)
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Other ingredients
9 pita bread
Butter for brushing
4½ tsp garlic chutney
½ recipe tahini dip
18 sliced tomato halves
9 tbsp shredded lettuce

For the bullets
1. Combine the kabuli chana, garlic, onions, parsley, coriander, mint leaves, cumin seeds powder and salt and blend in a mixer to a coarse mixture using approx. ¼ cup of water.
2. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add the baking powder and green chilli paste and mix well.
3. Divide the mixture into 18 equal portions.
4. Shape a portion into a round ball and put in hot oil in a deep non-stick kadhai. Shape 5 more portions, into a ball and put it in the oil and deep-fry all 6 at a time in a batch till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides.
5. Repeat step 4 to make 12 more balls in 2 more batches. Drain on an absorbent paper and keep aside.

How to proceed
1. Cut a pita bread into two vertically and slit each halve to form a pocket.
2. Brush each halve with little butter on both the sides.
3. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle), and cook it on a medium flame till light brown spots appear on both the sides.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 with the remaining pita breads.
5. Take a pita bread halve, spread ½ tsp of garlic chutney evenly in it, add 1 tsp of tahini dip and place 2 bullets.
6. Top it with 1½ tbsp of the prepared curd dressing, place 2 tomato halves and 1 tbsp of the shredded lettuce.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to make 8 more falafels.
Serve immediately.