Armen's Falafel with Tahini Sauce

The Sandcastle Girls - Recipe #4

This recipe is dedicated to Armen Petrosian, Elizabeth's husband and Laura's grandfather.

Elizabeth and Armen meet in Syria during the 1915 refugee crisis resulting from the Armenian Genocide. They are both there to help refugees in any way they can - Elizabeth working with the Boston Friends of Armenia, and Armen working alongside two German soldiers, Helmut and Eric, who are also heavily invested in helping the cause, despite Germany's allegiance with Turkey. 

Armen has managed to narrowly escaped death by sheer luck, while his family perished. Armen's two brothers died fighting on separate fronts, while his wife and daughter were murdered during the massacre of their village in the region of Harput. 

This heavy subject matter needs some delicious food to lighten the spirits, so here is my favorite comfort/"junk" food:

Ingredients:

Falafel:

• 1 lb DRY chickpeas (these must be dry, not canned)

• 6 garlic cloves

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1.5 tablespoons flour (any type! Use gluten-free all-purpose flour or chickpea/chapati flour if GF. I used whole wheat all purpose flour)

• 2.5 teaspoons cumin powder

• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons salt

• Vegetable oil to fry falafel (I used canola)

Tahini Sauce:

• 1/2 cup tahini (well-stirred!)

• Juice from 1 large lemon

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more if desired)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

Sandwich Fixings:

• Thin pita (I use whole wheat Lebanese pita), split

• Flat leaf parsley, chopped

• Red radishes, chopped or thinly-sliced

• Fresh mint leaves, torn

• Lettuce, chopped

• Tomatoes, chopped

• Pickled peppers, onions, etc as desired!

Instructions:

Falafel:

1. Put dry chickpeas into large bowl and cover by 2-3 inches of room-temperature tap water. Soak overnight.

2. Rinse and drain chickpeas, and add them to food processor along with garlic, onion, flour, salt, parsley, cumin, corriander, pepper, cayenne, and cardamom.

3. Pulse until a sticky, well-mixed meal forms -be careful not to pulse too much and form a hummus-like paste (see photos)

4. Put mixture in a large bowl and with a fork, mashing any large pieces the food processor may have missed.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit (or refrigerate) for 1-1.5 hours.

6. Heat about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil (I used canola) over medium heat in a sauce-pot or high-sided skillet. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat until oil reaches 275-325 degrees F. (measure temp with meat/candy thermometer - see photos)

7. Form mixture into round balls using hands or falafel scoop (see photos).

8. Carefully drop falafel balls into oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side - turning with metal tongs. The outsides should be browned and the insides should still be soft - but not mushy! Test one or 2 first to get the hang of it.

9. Remove falafel balls from oil with tongs (or slotted metal spoon) and place on a paper towel-covered plate to drain excess oil.

Tahini Sauce:

1. Add all ingredients to food processor and blend for about 2 minutes until a creamy sauce forms

2. If too thick, add more water. If too watery, add more tahini.

Sandwich:

1. On one half thin pita (split the long way!), put 3-4 falafel balls and smash down with a fork.

2. Top with desired toppings (I put radish, tomato, lettuce, parsley, and mint)

3. Top with tanini sauce

4. Roll up pita (like a burrito)

5. ENJOY!!!