Falafel Lettuce Wraps (Dr. p. 210)

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 05:38:04 GMT

Step 1

Place the beans into a large bowl and cover them with about 3 inches of water; add salt. Let soak overnight at room temperature; they will double in size, making 4 cups. Drain and rinse well.

Step 2

Pour the soaked beans into a food processor or blender, working in batches if necessary. Add the onion, parsley, garlic, cilantro, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, and flour. Process until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides as needed; it should still be a bit chunky--you don't want it totally smooth like hummus.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Step 4

Using wet hands, form 2 tablespoons each of the falafel mixture into balls. If they fall apart, add a bit more flour to make them stick together. (You may also need to process the mixture a bit finer.) Then flatten the balls so they are patties about 2 inches across and 1 inch thick. (There is a falafel scoop that does this for you if you have one.)

Step 5

Heat the avocado oil in a deep 6-inch wide saucepan to 370 degrees over medium-high heat; do not let the oil burn or smoke. Use a thermometer to monitor the oil temperature while frying and be prepared to reduce the temperature as needed (best is in a range of 360-375 degrees.)

Step 6

Test a falafel by dropping it into the hot oil and seeing that it holds together and fries well. If so, continue to fry the falafel for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. (If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer and the falafel cooks quicker than this, reduce the temperature; if the outside cooks too quickly, the inside will be raw. Similarly, if they are not cooked quickly enough, you'll need to increase the temperature a bit.) Use a slotted spoon to remove the falafel and continue to deep-fry. You can keep the cooked falafel warm on a tray in a warmed oven.

Step 7

Have serving bowls ready with the tzatziki, salsa, hummus, and tahini. Have lots of napkins ready.

Step 8

Pile the falafel on a platter. For each falafel wrap, add 1-2 tablespoons hummus, 2-3 falafel, 1-2 tablespoons tzatziki, and 1-2 tablespoons salsa, then drizzle 1 teaspoon tahini over all and wrap up the Bibb leaf.

Step 9

Each falafel patty absorbs about 1/2 teaspoon of oil, so with 24 patties, that is a total of 3-4 tablespoons of oil, which is why selecting a healthy oil is so important here.

Step 10

Also note: Don't try making this with canned beans--here is a case when you need to soak dried beans.

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