Bring a bite of Israel home with delicious falafel sandwiches, made with amazing Israeli food products easily found in your local grocery store. These are perfect to pack for lunch, grab as a light snack or serve as a main course for dinner.
Falafel Sandwiches
Serves 6
Falafel balls:
Telma Falafel Mediterranean Cocktail Snack Mix
1⁄3 cup plus
2 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
cooking oil
Israeli salad:
2 tomatoes
1 sweet or yellow onion
1 large cucumber
1 lemon
fresh parsley
Sandwich:
Telma Hummus
Mediterranean Instant Dip Mix
1⁄2 cup plus
1 Tbs. water
paprika
Prince Tahina
harissa
fresh pita
In a large bowl, combine falafel mix with the water. Add fresh parsley to bowl and mix to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Meantime, seed tomatoes and coarsely chop with onion and cucumber. Combine vegetables in second bowl. Squeeze juice of lemon into salad and stir. Add parsley if desired and allow to sit at room temperature while you cook the falafel.
Shape falafel mixture into 12 1-inch balls. Using a heavy skillet or saucepan, pour oil to a depth of 1⁄2 inch. Allow to heat. Drop in a tiny piece of mixture or a droplet of water to test. If it sizzles upon impact, it is ready. Carefully add balls to oil. Allow to cook until side down becomes golden brown, and then flip over. Fry until other side is golden. Total approximate cooking time is 2 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
Prepare hummus in separate bowl. Combine contents of mix with the water. Garnish with paprika, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. If using tahina, mix purchased sauce with equal measure of water.
To assemble sandwich, cut pita round in half to create an open pocket. Add cool ingredients as first layer of pocket (hot ingredients will cause the bread to open and the sandwich to leak). Layer hummus, Israeli salad and 2 falafel balls into the pita. Top with tahina and harissa to taste.
Meredith Jacobs is managing editor of the Washington Jewish Week.