Lebanese Recipes – Lebanese Cooking Academy

Falafel Sandwich

sandwīsh falāfil

A Lebanese falafel sandwich depends on contrast: a deeply crisp shell, a moist and aromatic center, cool vegetables, sharp pickles, abundant parsley, and lemony tarator folded into warm pita. This academy version uses the Lebanese practice of grinding soaked, uncooked chickpeas and peeled split fava beans; canned or cooked legumes will not produce the correct texture.

Prep45 min

Cook35 min

DifficultyIntermediate

Yield6 large pita sandwiches, each with 4 falafel; 24 falafel total

Know what you are cooking

Falafel sandwiches are prepared throughout Lebanon in specialist shops, bakeries, snack restaurants, and homes. Lebanese formulas vary meaningfully: some use chickpeas alone, while others combine chickpeas with peeled fava beans. Seasoning and herb proportions also vary by household and shop. The characteristic Lebanese service is in pita with tarator, parsley, tomato, pickles, and sometimes cucumber or hot sauce.

Serve immediately as a substantial street-food lunch or casual supper. Falafel is best fried to order and enclosed in pita only just before eating so that its crust remains crisp.

By the end, you can:

Soak dried legumes safely and identify when they are adequately hydrated for grinding.
Grind falafel mixture to a cohesive, coarse texture without turning it into purée.
Shape and fry evenly while controlling oil temperature.
Prepare Lebanese tarator with a smooth, pourable consistency.
Balance crisp falafel, vegetables, pickles, herbs, and sauce in pita without making the bread soggy.

Method

Soak the legumes under refrigeration

Place the chickpeas and peeled split fava beans in a large bowl. Cover with the 2 litres of cold water, ensuring at least 8 cm of water above the legumes. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Add cold water if the legumes become exposed. Drain thoroughly; do not cook them.

Look, smell, feelThe legumes are swollen and can be split with firm pressure from a fingernail, but remain raw and slightly chalky inside.SafetySoak under refrigeration at 4°C or colder rather than leaving the legumes at room temperature overnight. Discard the batch if it develops an unpleasant fermented odor, slime, or unusual bubbling.

Prepare the tarator

Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt. The mixture will tighten at first. Add the cold water gradually while whisking until smooth and pourable. Refrigerate until service.

Look, smell, feelThe sauce is pale, glossy, and thick enough to coat a spoon while still flowing in a ribbon.SafetyUse clean utensils and refrigerate promptly. Do not leave the sauce at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in very hot conditions above 32°C.

Prepare the sandwich fillings

Slice the tomatoes and cucumber, drain the turnip pickles, and pick the parsley sprigs. Keep each filling separate and refrigerated. Warm the pita only immediately before assembly.

Look, smell, feelThe vegetables are crisp, and the tomatoes have been drained enough that no pool of juice remains on the board.SafetyWash produce under clean running water before cutting. Use a clean board and knife, and keep prepared vegetables cold.

Grind the falafel mixture

Pat the drained legumes dry. Process them in batches with the onion, garlic, parsley, and fresh coriander. Pulse and scrape the bowl repeatedly; do not run the machine continuously. Combine the batches with cumin, ground coriander, pepper, and salt.

Look, smell, feelThe mixture resembles damp, coarse sand with particles about 1–2 mm wide. A squeezed handful holds together but still shows distinct granules; it is not a smooth paste.SafetyKeep hands and utensils away from the processor blade, and unplug the machine before scraping near the blade.

Test and shape

Mix in the baking soda just before frying. Compress one 30 g test piece in a falafel mold or between two spoons. If it crumbles despite firm compression, mix in chickpea flour 5 g at a time, using no more than 20 g. Shape 24 compact patties, approximately 5 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick. Press sesame seeds onto one face if desired.

Look, smell, feelA properly shaped patty releases cleanly and can be lifted without cracking at the edges.SafetyDo not taste the raw mixture. Keep it refrigerated if frying is delayed, and use it within 24 hours.

Heat the frying oil

Pour enough oil into a deep, heavy pan to reach a depth of at least 7 cm while leaving substantial headroom. Heat to 175°C. Arrange a wire rack over a tray for draining.

Look, smell, feelThe thermometer reads 175°C; a tiny crumb of mixture rises promptly with active but controlled bubbling.SafetyNever fill the pan more than halfway with oil. Keep the pan handle turned inward, keep water away from the oil, and never leave hot oil unattended.

Fry the falafel

Lower 5–6 falafel at a time into the oil without crowding. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning if needed, until evenly browned. Allow the oil to return to 175°C between batches; keep it within 170–180°C. Drain on the rack rather than stacking.

Look, smell, feelThe crust is deep golden brown and crisp; the center is green-flecked, moist, fully set, and steaming rather than pasty.SafetyLower falafel gently to prevent splashing. As a conservative control, a split test falafel should be steaming throughout; where practical, verify that the center reaches at least 74°C. If a patty breaks apart, remove loose fragments before they burn.

Assemble and serve

Warm each pita briefly until pliable. Open or split it to form a pocket. Spread in some tarator, then add tomato, cucumber, turnip pickle, parsley, and 4 hot falafel. Spoon over additional tarator and optional hot sauce. Serve at once.

Look, smell, feelThe pita bends without tearing, the falafel remains audibly crisp, and the filling tastes balanced between savory, tart, herbal, and pickled elements.SafetyUse tongs or utensils for the hot falafel. Serve promptly rather than holding assembled sandwiches at room temperature.

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Chef notes

The combination of chickpeas and peeled fava beans is an established Lebanese formulation; chickpea-only versions are also prepared in Lebanon.
Drying the soaked legumes and herbs prevents excess moisture, weak patties, and dangerous splattering in the fryer.
Pulse the mixture. A continuous high-speed grind releases too much starch and creates a dense, pasty center.
The test falafel is essential: it confirms cohesion, seasoning, oil temperature, and interior doneness before the full batch is fried.
Baking soda should be mixed in shortly before frying; it supports a lighter interior but too much produces an alkaline taste.
Tarator naturally thickens after standing. Whisk in cold water 5–10 ml at a time if it becomes too firm.
For professional service, hold the unsodaed mixture refrigerated, portion to order, and mix small batches with proportional baking soda shortly before frying.

Common mistakes

Using canned or cooked chickpeas, which contain too much water and produce soft, fragile falafel.
Grinding to a smooth purée, resulting in a heavy and uniform interior rather than a delicate crumb.
Leaving the soaked legumes wet, causing poor cohesion and oil splatter.
Adding excessive flour instead of correcting moisture, grinding, compression, or oil temperature.
Frying below 170°C, which encourages oil absorption and a greasy crust.
Frying above 180°C, which darkens the exterior before the raw-legume center is fully cooked.
Crowding the fryer and allowing its temperature to fall sharply.
Overfilling the pita or using very juicy tomatoes, which tears and softens the bread.

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Practical substitutions

For a Lebanese chickpea-only version, replace the 120 g fava beans with an equal weight of dried chickpeas; soaking and processing remain the same.
If fresh coriander is unavailable, replace it with the same weight of additional parsley; the flavor will be less characteristic of many falafel-shop blends but remains suitable.
Gluten-free flatbread may replace pita, but verify its labeling and handling if gluten avoidance is required.
Commercial pickled cucumbers may accompany or replace turnip pickles. Drain them well and recognize that salt content varies considerably.
A suitable refined high-heat oil may replace sunflower or canola oil; follow the manufacturer's frying-temperature guidance.
Do not substitute baking powder directly for baking soda because its formulation and flavor effect differ.

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Plan and store

Make ahead: Soak the legumes the night before. The ground mixture may be made up to 24 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated at 4°C or colder, but add baking soda only shortly before frying. Tarator and cut fillings may be refrigerated separately for up to 24 hours. For best quality, shape and fry to order.

Storage: Refrigerate cooked falafel, tarator, and vegetables in separate shallow covered containers within 2 hours of preparation, or within 1 hour when ambient temperature exceeds 32°C. Keep at 4°C or colder. Use cooked falafel within 3 days and tarator within 3 days. Follow the producer's storage instructions for commercial pickles. Homemade pickles should only be prepared and stored using a validated method consistent with local health guidance.

Reheating: Reheat falafel uncovered on a rack in a 200°C oven for 8–10 minutes, or until crisp and at least 74°C at the center. Do not repeatedly cool and reheat. Microwaving is safe when thoroughly heated but softens the crust. Assemble sandwiches only after reheating.

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Plate and serve

Wrap the lower half of each sandwich in food-safe paper, leaving the top open. Show the turnip pickle and parsley near the opening, and serve extra tarator separately so the diner can add it without saturating the pita.