Saturday 3 September 2011

Falafel Burgers with Hummus, Grated Carrot in Wholemeal Pitta Bread

Kitchen Play List: Crippled Black Phoenix ~ Let Me Put My Love..
                                     ABBA ~ Take a Chance on Me
                                     Newton Faulkner ~ Feels Like Home
                                     Natalie Cole ~ Every Time We Say Goodbye
                                     Dan Balan ~ Chica Bomb
                                     Donna Summer ~ Hot Stuff

I was catering for the masses again today..lol. And I loved every mad minute of it. My kid brother was home visiting and he was joining us all for lunch..us all being My Love, my sister and her little ones and our other nephew J. My brother does try with vegan cuisine and he does try most things I cook for him. But the one dish that he really loves is Falafel...although when he's had it here, it's always the time when I haven't made it!! Hmm..not sure how I feel about that..lol. But today I wanted to make the burgers from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's fantastic cookbook The Vegan Table 

We like our falafel served hot or cold in a wholemeal pitta smeared in hummus and lots of grated carrot and usually some shredded lettuce. And apart from the lettuce that's how we served them today. 

The recipe was easy to follow and the falafel burgers came together really well...even with a very enthusiastic two year old doing the mixing. lol. Now as they were so many of us I made a double batch as I wanted my brother to be able to take some home with him...so I should have had between 16-20 burgers...but I only ended up with 11. But they were regular veggie burger size. Oh well. They were delicious and the texture was really good. I also liked the fact that they were baked on parchment paper in the oven and not shallow or deep fried and you didn't lose any of the flavour baking them. I think these will definitely be my 'go to'  falafel recipe from now on. If you haven't bought The Vegan Table...you really should! lol. 

Falafel Burgers with hummus, grated carrot in a Wholemeal Pitta

Falafel Burgers with Hummus, Grated Carrot in a Wholemeal Pitta
(Falafel recipe from The Vegan Table/Patrick-Goudreau)

Wholemeal pitta breads
Grated carrots
Hummus of your choice

1 14oz tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 200'C/400'F/Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Pulse the drained chickpeas in a food processor until thick and pasty. Transfer to a medium sized bowl. 

Add the onion, garlic, parsley, tahini, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and baking powder. Slowly add the breadcrumbs until the mixture begins to hold together..(I use the whole cup of breadcrumbs ~R~) Shape into patties/burgers and then place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes and then flip and bake for a further 10 minutes. 

Cut along the edge of a pitta and discard the edge piece then carefully open the pitta. Smear hummus on one side then cover the hummus with the grated carrot and then place a falafel burger in the pitta...and then munch away! 

Enjoy! 
~R~