The moment I met my future wife I was making falafel for my college roommates... 29 years ago (woah). True story. Another great video. Get your $hiz together, RUclips. Weeds & Sardines should have a million subscribers by now.
You've inspired my cooking so often. I often think of recipes I want to tackle and you always have a video for it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, creativity, and passion with us.
I made these tonight for dinner. Amazing!! My husband, who is 1/4 Lebanese, thinks I'm a genius in the kitchen. He says these are easily the best falafel he's ever tasted...and he's had more than a few. I want to try every recipe. It may take me a minute. I look forward to watching each new video every Thursday. Thanks heaps!!!
I’ve made falafel many times and I found what really made a difference was using dried split broad beans or fava beans instead of chickpeas. Better by far. You can also find them in Turkish shops as kirik bakla. Give it a try. You’ll be amazed at how much better they are. It’s the authentic Egyptian version. I'd also use hummus rather than tahini sauce, and season with delicious lemony sumac.
Half garbanzo and half young split fava beans is the way to go for falafel. What you describe is _tameya,_ a delicious fried bean patty from Egypt, but not falafel.
@@tamcon72 I think we’ll have to agree to differ. No problem :-) As far as I know falafel can be made with any proportions of fava beans and garbanzos. The fact that Egyptians call it tameya doesn’t mean it’s not falafel. Lots of foods have different names in different places. I think we agree that making it with all garbanzos isn’t the best way. I’ll settle for that as a compromise :-)
@@tamcon72 Thank you, but no apology is necessary. Bookmark this interchange! It's a rare example of people working things out civilly. I half expected I’d regret replying. Enjoy your falafel, however you choose to make it!
There's absolutely nothing wrong with this great video, but your production value and overall editing skills have improved vastly over the past couple years. Love the content as always BRI
I made this tonight (falafel + tabbouleh + salad + tahini, served over greens) and it couldn't have come out better. Herb-packed, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and tasted as incredible as the video made them look - the first of many falafel dinners in this house!
there used to be a wicked street food cafe where i used to live in bristol. they used to do these flat bread raps with awesome fresh falafel, loads of chilli sauce, tahini and grilled halloumi. definately a double hander!
My wife and I love your channel. It's my favorite cooking tutorials. My wife did these falafels and tahini sauce today, and with every bite it felt like I was sitting in Jerusalem with the sun on my face. Can't recommend enough.
Palestinian falafel (in Amman, Jordan) and Syrian falafel are the best. The best mix I've tasted (Mama's recipe) is 50/50 chickpeas and broad beans, onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, green peppers to taste, roasted coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
Two tricks for you: 1) if you want "Israeli Grandma style" falafel, cut a medium carrot into 1/4" coins, saute them until soft, then add them to the herb mixture; it really adds moisture to the falafel, and a bit of color. 2) try adding a small amount of fresh mint to the herb mixture, maybe 6 or 7 leaves. It puts the falafel into the next level! Using roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic in the falafel is also wonderful. One of the traditional sauces we would put onto the falafel is called amba (there's no English word for it). A sauce made with mangoes. It's easy to make or you can buy it.
Is that why Michael Solomonov makes it with carrot? It seems weird to me - I've eaten lots of Israeli felafel before and never noticed the carrot but I have chickpeas soaking so I will give it a try.
Hey Bri, I thoroughly dig your videos. Just made the falafels for the second time and they are DOPE! I did the tabbouleh with quinoa vs the cauli, still turned out great!
Omg this looks so good. Also tip from a lazy arab, freeze the pita the moment you get it so when u need to eat it you can just toast the pita in a pan and then cut it open with a small serrated bread knife so the inside can steam and become malleable while still having a crispy outside. Ideal for a pocket style pita
I have a few tricks to add to the video: 1. I suggest adding 1TSP of dry coriander to the mix. 2. If you don't want to eat the whole falafel batch right away, you can make them into disks or balls and freeze them. When you are ready to eat them just dump them in hot oil and cover it with a lid (allowing for some of the steam to escape). This way you can eat falafel whenever you desire (just like having frozen french fries). This trick will also help you if you are having problems having them keep their round shape (after they freeze they won't fall apart in the oil when you go to fry them). Also freezing them helps make the falafel balls more tender on the inside 3. Also maybe add parsley to the tahini to make it more interesting. But otherwise great video.
Finally got round to making this - thank you, it's an epic recipe and using dried chick peas makes a massive difference vs canned. I used an ice cream scoop for portioning which delivered pretty much exactly your target size 😊
I love the videos! I love your approach to cooking, your palate, video style, and the 360 approach to making your food. I recently had to make falafel for a school and was shocked to learn chick peas fell under this allergy list. My mentor suggested fava beans as a base because he grew up in Egypt. Time didn't allow me to get them easily so I used green lentils as a base and was very happy.
@@BrianLagerstrom yes! I was fingers crossed the whole way gingerly pulsing the food processor but I loved the way they turned out. They also told me I couldn't give the kids tahini so I made tzatziki instead.
@@pappaperl10 I'm super confused. The school told you to make falafel but then also told you you can't use chickpeas or tahini? Did they actually know what falafel was?
@@warthas2012 Very possible, but I feel like if I was in that scenario and the school told me I couldn't use half of the ingredients I need for the dish I picked, I'd pick something else instead :D
Just found your channel about a month ago, and I'm getting caught up on the old stuff. It's gonna be a sad day when I run out. Luckily, yours is the only one I could rewatch and still probably learn a new thing. You ever make it to Seattle, hit us up.
I gave up on pita long ago, after having great falafel at a couple of places in San Francisco where they wrapped it in lavash like a burrito. The finished wrap was then put on the grill for a few minutes to char the outside a bit. Yum! When I made falafel at home last spring I used lavash from Trader Joe’s. The falafel I made came out well, but were hard to digest. Will try your recipe and grind the beans finer. Thanks for the helpful closeup views!
I don't know where the Shawarma and Falafel shops get their pita but I cannot find pita in the store (years of trying) that makes a good sandwich. So as Brian stated, taco style is the way to go, I like thicker Greek style pita for that. Thanks for the video Brian, lets eat this thing.
i make this recipe when i worry my dried chickpeas are getting old in the jar.. but pita breads sometimes brek on you so i use tortillas and make them like burritos also vegan adding sliced assorted peppers and lots of parsley with red onion soaked in vinegar yummmmmmy😋😋😋😋😋😋
Great video.i make gluten free tabouli using cooked buckwheat and quinoa .You can make gluten free flat bread out of buckwheat flour and left over mashed kumera (sweet patatoe ) that is soft and flexible after cooking in a pan. Alot of the herbs are easy to grow
Hey Bri! Love your vids!!! OMG I love a good Falafel...Just a thought with Lorn being gluten free...cooked Quinnoa is an excellent alternative to Bulgur for Tabbouleh and gives a very similar result to traditional Tabobouleh.
Use the meat grinder attachment for your stand-mixer to grind the soaked garbanzos and the herbs. Make a big batch and freeze the uncooked falafel balls that you don't need; they fry straight out of the freezer, just need a couple minutes longer. Freeze them on the sheet tray, then transfer to a bag when fully frozen. A touch of honey in the tahini sauce, not enough to make it sweet, just to cut the bitterness of the tahini.
You should also try a flat bread recipe. My dad (who generally does the bread baking back home) has a system to produce a shit ton of great pitas using oven baking at high heat in a short amount of time. It definitely isn't time intensive since he's all about efficiency.
The pita probably broke apart because grocery store pita is usually stale, which makes it harder to pull apart to form a pocket. Maybe try wrapping it in a moist paper towel or kitchen towel and microwaving it for a few seconds to try to bring it back to life. Nice video. I completely agree that falafel should be herby and green on the inside! 👏
Made these tonight and they were so good and really easy! Best falafel I’ve ever had, way better than any I’ve bought. Really like the cauliflower rice in the tabouli too. Highly recommend this recipe.
Optional spices - coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Also I like falafels to be smaller so that they cook better inside before it's burnt. And most importantly, you don't really need a blender for making tahini, it mixes well with water by hand
Bri, pita chips dude! Slice those pita into quarters and split them in half with a knife, smear them with olive oil and toast them until they are golden brown. Awesome foundation for all of that beautiful food you have made.
Living on the edge with that lemon juicer, like it;o) The shredded pita could have made for falafel nachos? I also really like the egyptian ones from (soaked) fava beans.^^ Thx!
When i make falafel i make them into patties. So when i put them in the pita it is easier to handle. I prefer to make them gyro style. I always make my own pitas. I find the plastic wrapper of store bought pitas has more flavor than the actual pita pocket.
I would have liked this twice if I could. Love it! I made shawarma here at home the other day and had the same experience with the pitas! Frustrating to say the least. My local shop grills theirs and i wanted to do that, but I couldn't even get one made that wasn't ripped or as you put it crumbled.... I will make these for sure! Cheers.
Oh! You should try one of the eastern European breads for this! I know its not widely accessible, but it is in STL. Global foods or one of the Balkan butcher shops or grocers. It would be fantastic!
There are good recipes here on YT. Look up somun, Bosnian style. If you have some experience with ciabatta type of dough, it's similar in terms of hydration and in my opinion easier to handle. And you are right. That type of bread is a perfect vessel for falafel. Here in Belgrade, there are a few very good falafel places, and two of my favorites have the option of somun for to go sandwiches. Tahini drips a bit from the pita and if you want to carry it anywhere, somun is much better option.
I've made Falafel with canned chickpeas plenty of times, you maybe just need to use a little more flour to bind it, bit over only used dried chickpeas once and honestly they were basically identical for significantly more prep time.
I live in a city with two lebanonian restaurants and they serve killer falafel burgers (with mango sauce I recall). So good that I prefer them to classic beef burgers. They also serve the sides with tzatziki, which in my opinion is fantastic with falafel. What do you think about using quinoa in tabbouleh? To me it looks like the texture and role is exactly the same.
Falafel taco for the win! Great improv. I will have to prob go this route too b/c lately I can only find wimpier store brand pita vs the brands I liked. Thanks Brian! Also, since our fry temp is 350 F, could a lighter olive oil ("pure" or "light tasting") be employed with less effect on the final falafel flavor features?
I am not an expert on what high temp does to oil, but in terms of olive oil, I think it starts to break down and denature at like 325ish. Flavor wise I wouldn’t worry, but if the oil is smoking it isn’t going to taste very good. Thanks so much for watching!
@@BrianLagerstrom your videos are an absolute pleasure to watch. I feel like I have been waiting for you all my life. (cooking channel wise! No worries for the Mrs.!!) Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point, you are right. Depends on the variety (acid content and overall quality), but most probably tap out by 350 F (some higher, some lower). The more refined olive oils ("pure" or "light" versions) supposedly can handle 390 F and up. I haven't really fried with them but they look to be more neutral -- paler color and in general the processing removes the potentially healthful components that are also vulnerable to smoking. I do like avocado oil, but the cost as you mentioned is the big sticking point for me when it comes to frying oils. I do keep some avocado oil for high heat stovetop cooking & baking, but for frying I want something more cost effective, and am not a fan of soybean oil or canola oil tastewise or healthwise.
@@highlander2000 thanks for the details, I’ll keep those in mind. I also try my best not to eat any industrial seed oils. Nasty stuff. For the videos I end up using canola now and then, I started with avocado but that was insane price wise.
Made this today. Fantastic. Didn’t crumble like so many of my attempts have done before. Crispy and perfectly seasoned too. My go-to from now on. I have to believe Brian knows this, but store-bought pita can be pliable if lightly toasted first. Not toasting is a, well, recipe for failure. Still have to handle the pita delicately but it will work. I just avoided altogether, though, by making my standard flatbread recipe and cooking then in cast iron. Fresh flatbread made this recipe even better. Question: is it possible to bake these when I want easier weeknight prep?
cut the whole pita from the middle n put everything then warp the first layer as tight as you can without breaking the bread then warp the 2nd layer around it to hold everything together n that's what's called a Saba (cement) sandwich here in Arabia
I love your channel, but I think you're going for the Californian falafel, if you need some tips for a Palestinian/Arabic authentic falafel let me know. You're close though :) keep up the good work!
@@BrianLagerstrom - We dont have jalapenos :) so actually chilli is used. - coriander powder and or seeds are the most distinct spice in the middle eastern falafel. - adding sesame seeds to the mixture before frying adds a difference dimension, it's not essential but man it's good. - Now this is the most important point, the size of the falafel should be smaller, about 2 thirds of what you made and preferably in a disc shape, before frying bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) should be added, this will make the falafel airy from the inside and crunchy from the outside, with the amount of oil you had, the falafel should float mid way and then it will be easy to flip and it will form a ball shape from the disc shape. - I have nothing against tumeric, i think it's from the Indian version of falafel. -For the convenience, i also use a food processor and mix all ingredients at once and it comes out ok, your method is great but I find the problem always with big chickpea pieces which I still saw in the video. Traditionally it's made with meat grinder, this produces a consistent texture for all ingredients. Sorry about the article above :) but I love my falafel and thank you for making a video about it!
Do you stll live in St. Louis?.... I see the Schnucks products and I used to shop there (and work there)....I now live in China, but it's nice to see the hometown stuff
Also my wife has a gluten intolerance so I have gf versions for almost all of my recipes (aside from bread). Feel free to ask if I don’t mention it in the videos.
@@jimmyjohn7892 well that depends on what we're comparing it to. we don't eat a TON of gluten free bread, but favs have been canyon bakehouse though they changed their formula, and honestly the live g free brand by aldi can be solid. we toast it all anyway just to use as a vehicle for butter/jam or sandwiches. something i've been buying (though it's expensive) is the base culture grain free also. definitely haven't found anything that can compare to a real sourdough. do you have any favorites?
@@BrianLagerstrom Thanks for the brands! I've never had the aldi's one but I have had some of their other products. I will have to try. My favorite comes from Deland Bakery. It is by far the best bread I have found. I don't believe it is a dedicated facility, but I have never had an issue with it. We get their bagels, buns, bread, and rolls!
AHAHAHA.. ahahahaha!! HAHAAA, hohohohooo! 100% disasters and store bought flat breads can just crap out on you. I admire your contingency-fast-thinking-genius. Excellent job. It's funny sometimes how you can make miracle happen when under pressure, if you've got an imagination. Love this video.
@@BrianLagerstrom You and Weissman, and Sam and Claudia and Ramsey and Babitch and Kent Rollins Cowboy Cooking (pardon if I misspelled any) are my tops. It's not just a shared cooking experience, it's the humor, style and delivery. Big fan, and of course I subscribe and like. It's a big deal. Cheers.
The moment I met my future wife I was making falafel for my college roommates... 29 years ago (woah). True story. Another great video. Get your $hiz together, RUclips. Weeds & Sardines should have a million subscribers by now.
Falafel brings people together! Thanks for watching these
Good news and bad news: The channel has 1M subs, but it's not Weeds & Sardines any longer...
You're quickly becoming my favorite chef. And I do really like Ethan, Adam, The Kenj, Chef John, and the other heavy hitters
The tabouli with the cauliflower rice was brilliant! Never thought of that and it sounded absolutely delicious.
Thanks! It’s something I use pretty often these days. Thanks for watching this one! I loved making this video.
You've inspired my cooking so often. I often think of recipes I want to tackle and you always have a video for it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, creativity, and passion with us.
I made these tonight for dinner. Amazing!! My husband, who is 1/4 Lebanese, thinks I'm a genius in the kitchen. He says these are easily the best falafel he's ever tasted...and he's had more than a few. I want to try every recipe. It may take me a minute. I look forward to watching each new video every Thursday. Thanks heaps!!!
I’ve made falafel many times and I found what really made a difference was using dried split broad beans or fava beans instead of chickpeas. Better by far. You can also find them in Turkish shops as kirik bakla. Give it a try. You’ll be amazed at how much better they are. It’s the authentic Egyptian version. I'd also use hummus rather than tahini sauce, and season with delicious lemony sumac.
I havent tried it but i believe it must be since chickpeas dont have much flavor
Half garbanzo and half young split fava beans is the way to go for falafel. What you describe is _tameya,_ a delicious fried bean patty from Egypt, but not falafel.
@@tamcon72 I think we’ll have to agree to differ. No problem :-)
As far as I know falafel can be made with any proportions of fava beans and garbanzos. The fact that Egyptians call it tameya doesn’t mean it’s not falafel. Lots of foods have different names in different places. I think we agree that making it with all garbanzos isn’t the best way. I’ll settle for that as a compromise :-)
@@aloysiussnailchaser272 I came off as severe. I apologize, and actually agree with your explanation. Thanks for being a good sport!
@@tamcon72 Thank you, but no apology is necessary. Bookmark this interchange! It's a rare example of people working things out civilly. I half expected I’d regret replying. Enjoy your falafel, however you choose to make it!
Perfect instructions and details. I relly like your recipes, most of time I learn something new
There's absolutely nothing wrong with this great video, but your production value and overall editing skills have improved vastly over the past couple years. Love the content as always BRI
I used your recipe and turned out amazing. I cooked them in the oven for 50' at 180°, not as good as deep fried but easier to do too.
Thank you for another great recipe. I tried the whole thing, falafels, hummus, and tahini sauce. Used pitas, taco style. It was delicious!
You are the best teacher among ALL THE COOKING TEACHERS ON ON LINE !!!!👍
I made this tonight (falafel + tabbouleh + salad + tahini, served over greens) and it couldn't have come out better. Herb-packed, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and tasted as incredible as the video made them look - the first of many falafel dinners in this house!
That’s great news! So glad it worked for you! Thanks for the comment.
And thanks for the ko-fi. Really appreciate your support!
there used to be a wicked street food cafe where i used to live in bristol. they used to do these flat bread raps with awesome fresh falafel, loads of chilli sauce, tahini and grilled halloumi. definately a double hander!
My wife and I love your channel. It's my favorite cooking tutorials. My wife did these falafels and tahini sauce today, and with every bite it felt like I was sitting in Jerusalem with the sun on my face. Can't recommend enough.
wow. that's awesome. you've had falafel in Jerusalem? i haven't, but i would love to. do these compare?
I hope restaurants across the country watch this and stop selling incredibly subpar falafel. Greatness is within reach for all.
Probably 10% of falafel I've eaten has been good. Guys absolutely butcher it usually.
Palestinian falafel (in Amman, Jordan) and Syrian falafel are the best. The best mix I've tasted (Mama's recipe) is 50/50 chickpeas and broad beans, onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, green peppers to taste, roasted coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
Two tricks for you: 1) if you want "Israeli Grandma style" falafel, cut a medium carrot into 1/4" coins, saute them until soft, then add them to the herb mixture; it really adds moisture to the falafel, and a bit of color. 2) try adding a small amount of fresh mint to the herb mixture, maybe 6 or 7 leaves. It puts the falafel into the next level!
Using roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic in the falafel is also wonderful.
One of the traditional sauces we would put onto the falafel is called amba (there's no English word for it). A sauce made with mangoes. It's easy to make or you can buy it.
Wow I’d love to try that mango sauce
Is that why Michael Solomonov makes it with carrot? It seems weird to me - I've eaten lots of Israeli felafel before and never noticed the carrot but I have chickpeas soaking so I will give it a try.
@@huv123 the answer to your question is yes. And do give it a try ... it definitely adds something to the dish!
The mango sauce is originally Iraqi
@@Rudimental-NCLNot quite correct. It was invented in India by Iraqi Jews.
Hey Bri, I thoroughly dig your videos. Just made the falafels for the second time and they are DOPE! I did the tabbouleh with quinoa vs the cauli, still turned out great!
Bri, this is my favorite recipe I have made of yours so far and I made quiet a few. Thanks for all the delicious food
Omg this looks so good. Also tip from a lazy arab, freeze the pita the moment you get it so when u need to eat it you can just toast the pita in a pan and then cut it open with a small serrated bread knife so the inside can steam and become malleable while still having a crispy outside. Ideal for a pocket style pita
100% agree with you about store bought pita - literally NEVER stays together 🙄 it’s maddening! Lol can’t wait to try this recipe!
I have a few tricks to add to the video: 1. I suggest adding 1TSP of dry coriander to the mix. 2. If you don't want to eat the whole falafel batch right away, you can make them into disks or balls and freeze them. When you are ready to eat them just dump them in hot oil and cover it with a lid (allowing for some of the steam to escape). This way you can eat falafel whenever you desire (just like having frozen french fries). This trick will also help you if you are having problems having them keep their round shape (after they freeze they won't fall apart in the oil when you go to fry them). Also freezing them helps make the falafel balls more tender on the inside 3. Also maybe add parsley to the tahini to make it more interesting. But otherwise great video.
Finally got round to making this - thank you, it's an epic recipe and using dried chick peas makes a massive difference vs canned.
I used an ice cream scoop for portioning which delivered pretty much exactly your target size 😊
Amazing thanks for trying it
I love the videos! I love your approach to cooking, your palate, video style, and the 360 approach to making your food. I recently had to make falafel for a school and was shocked to learn chick peas fell under this allergy list. My mentor suggested fava beans as a base because he grew up in Egypt. Time didn't allow me to get them easily so I used green lentils as a base and was very happy.
That’s fun did you soak them?
@@BrianLagerstrom yes! I was fingers crossed the whole way gingerly pulsing the food processor but I loved the way they turned out. They also told me I couldn't give the kids tahini so I made tzatziki instead.
@@pappaperl10 I'm super confused. The school told you to make falafel but then also told you you can't use chickpeas or tahini? Did they actually know what falafel was?
@@chriswhinery925 Maybe the school asked them to make a dish and they are the ones who chose the falafels
@@warthas2012 Very possible, but I feel like if I was in that scenario and the school told me I couldn't use half of the ingredients I need for the dish I picked, I'd pick something else instead :D
Just found your channel about a month ago, and I'm getting caught up on the old stuff. It's gonna be a sad day when I run out. Luckily, yours is the only one I could rewatch and still probably learn a new thing. You ever make it to Seattle, hit us up.
Made these tonight. They were perfect! Thank you!
My wife saw that I was watching and asked when I was making Falafel for her. Might try to make my own pita. Love the videos, keep grinding.
I hope you give it a try! I’ll keep grinding!
I gave up on pita long ago, after having great falafel at a couple of places in San Francisco where they wrapped it in lavash like a burrito. The finished wrap was then put on the grill for a few minutes to char the outside a bit. Yum!
When I made falafel at home last spring I used lavash from Trader Joe’s.
The falafel I made came out well, but were hard to digest. Will try your recipe and grind the beans finer. Thanks for the helpful closeup views!
Of course, thanks for watching!
I don't know where the Shawarma and Falafel shops get their pita but I cannot find pita in the store (years of trying) that makes a good sandwich. So as Brian stated, taco style is the way to go, I like thicker Greek style pita for that. Thanks for the video Brian, lets eat this thing.
i make this recipe when i worry my dried chickpeas are getting old in the jar.. but pita breads sometimes brek on you so i use tortillas and make them like burritos also vegan adding sliced assorted peppers and lots of parsley with red onion soaked in vinegar yummmmmmy😋😋😋😋😋😋
A falafel that green is deserving of being made! And eaten!!!
I love that you're always so passionate about your food it makes me want to try it out, regards from Jim in Liverpool England 😊
Great video.i make gluten free tabouli using cooked buckwheat and quinoa .You can make gluten free flat bread out of buckwheat flour and left over mashed kumera (sweet patatoe ) that is soft and flexible after cooking in a pan. Alot of the herbs are easy to grow
Hey Bri! Love your vids!!! OMG I love a good Falafel...Just a thought with Lorn being gluten free...cooked Quinnoa is an excellent alternative to Bulgur for Tabbouleh and gives a very similar result to traditional Tabobouleh.
Use the meat grinder attachment for your stand-mixer to grind the soaked garbanzos and the herbs. Make a big batch and freeze the uncooked falafel balls that you don't need; they fry straight out of the freezer, just need a couple minutes longer. Freeze them on the sheet tray, then transfer to a bag when fully frozen. A touch of honey in the tahini sauce, not enough to make it sweet, just to cut the bitterness of the tahini.
Brian - don't second-guess yourself! This preparation is perfect!
You should also try a flat bread recipe. My dad (who generally does the bread baking back home) has a system to produce a shit ton of great pitas using oven baking at high heat in a short amount of time. It definitely isn't time intensive since he's all about efficiency.
utterly amazing! your videos are amazing
Replayed parts of this video repeatedly as I prepared the recipe. Turned out great. Vegan wife loved it!
Taste of Lebanon in Andersonville always had my absolute favorite falafel wrap. Great little spot. Can't wait to try this one!
Thanks so much for the vegan recipe. It looks delicious, will try it soon!
Another amazing recipe Brian. Thank you so much! Making these for a Eurovision party tonight.
You really deserve more subscribers. Great stuff as always!
Thanks Torrey!
I make tabbouleh using quinoa instead of bulgur wheat and it is delicious.
Made this today! Turned out amazing. Thanks!!
Stoked to hear that. Thanks for trying the recipe
Watching all your vids Bri, love the attention to details!
Oh thats great to hear. I am always struggling with having to cut some out for time. glad you are diggin.
The pita probably broke apart because grocery store pita is usually stale, which makes it harder to pull apart to form a pocket. Maybe try wrapping it in a moist paper towel or kitchen towel and microwaving it for a few seconds to try to bring it back to life. Nice video. I completely agree that falafel should be herby and green on the inside! 👏
You should try green tahini, which is adding squeezed Lemmon, ice and a bunch of parsley, it is miles better than the alternatives
Made these tonight and they were so good and really easy! Best falafel I’ve ever had, way better than any I’ve bought. Really like the cauliflower rice in the tabouli too. Highly recommend this recipe.
Thanks for the feedback. I love these.
Two suggestions: 1) remove the parsley stems when making tabbouli; 2) add chopped parsley to the tahini mixture to make taratour (Lebanon).
I`m from Jerusalem i recommend adding a bit of chopped Mint to the Thina, adds a lot of freshness
Optional spices - coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Also I like falafels to be smaller so that they cook better inside before it's burnt. And most importantly, you don't really need a blender for making tahini, it mixes well with water by hand
shape it like a doughnut
Bri, pita chips dude! Slice those pita into quarters and split them in half with a knife, smear them with olive oil and toast them until they are golden brown. Awesome foundation for all of that beautiful food you have made.
Making falafel with parsley, cilantro, dill, and mint is also really good
Agree to agree
Living on the edge with that lemon juicer, like it;o)
The shredded pita could have made for falafel nachos? I also really like the egyptian ones from (soaked) fava beans.^^ Thx!
Great falafel, love the cauliflower tabouli!!!
Pretty sure these compare with anything you can find in Dearborn at our bazillion middle eastern restaurants!
There’s a good Detroit reference
When i make falafel i make them into patties. So when i put them in the pita it is easier to handle. I prefer to make them gyro style. I always make my own pitas. I find the plastic wrapper of store bought pitas has more flavor than the actual pita pocket.
I would have liked this twice if I could. Love it! I made shawarma here at home the other day and had the same experience with the pitas! Frustrating to say the least. My local shop grills theirs and i wanted to do that, but I couldn't even get one made that wasn't ripped or as you put it crumbled.... I will make these for sure! Cheers.
I've been binging your channel the whole day now. Time to make something. Falafel it is!
Oh wow thats awesome thanks for being here! let me know how these go. I love this one.
In NYC they often serve falafel sandwiches on the pita exactly how you improvised.
All the Arabs looking at you when you said "unless you live in New York or Jerusalem"...
Yeah, I concur it originated from an Arab country. What the hell does he talk about?
I live in Jerusalem and that looks good! Personally I enjoy adding some preserved lemon and sumac onions to my falafel pita
Both are legendary additions. Cheers!
Just did it... Amazing👍
Any chance you can add some air fryer alternatives to stovetop frying? Keep up the great work!!
These look sooo good and so similar to what we get in Jerusalem
Please add a printable recipe to your website. PS Thanks for making food so much fun.
Yet another perfect recipe!!
Thanks so much Jerrod!
Oh! You should try one of the eastern European breads for this! I know its not widely accessible, but it is in STL. Global foods or one of the Balkan butcher shops or grocers. It would be fantastic!
There are good recipes here on YT. Look up somun, Bosnian style. If you have some experience with ciabatta type of dough, it's similar in terms of hydration and in my opinion easier to handle. And you are right. That type of bread is a perfect vessel for falafel. Here in Belgrade, there are a few very good falafel places, and two of my favorites have the option of somun for to go sandwiches. Tahini drips a bit from the pita and if you want to carry it anywhere, somun is much better option.
I use flour tortillas for this stuff myself. Works well for Gyros too.
I've made Falafel with canned chickpeas plenty of times, you maybe just need to use a little more flour to bind it, bit over only used dried chickpeas once and honestly they were basically identical for significantly more prep time.
In Antwerp (Belgium) there are a lot of amazing falafel snackbars like Falafel Tof, Rachel Falafel, Beni Falafel...
Please write a cookbook; yours belongs in my collection.
I live in a city with two lebanonian restaurants and they serve killer falafel burgers (with mango sauce I recall). So good that I prefer them to classic beef burgers. They also serve the sides with tzatziki, which in my opinion is fantastic with falafel.
What do you think about using quinoa in tabbouleh? To me it looks like the texture and role is exactly the same.
Cute how the outfit blends with the cultural association
Great recipe! Can i use the air fryer for these?
You have to warm the pitas over a burner. It will make them puff and you will be able to fill them up.
Hey Bri, it seems that all grocery store pita bread is as fresh as a crouton. How about a recipe for some nice fresh pita?
Falafel taco for the win! Great improv. I will have to prob go this route too b/c lately I can only find wimpier store brand pita vs the brands I liked.
Thanks Brian! Also, since our fry temp is 350 F, could a lighter olive oil ("pure" or "light tasting") be employed with less effect on the final falafel flavor features?
I am not an expert on what high temp does to oil, but in terms of olive oil, I think it starts to break down and denature at like 325ish. Flavor wise I wouldn’t worry, but if the oil is smoking it isn’t going to taste very good. Thanks so much for watching!
@@BrianLagerstrom your videos are an absolute pleasure to watch. I feel like I have been waiting for you all my life. (cooking channel wise! No worries for the Mrs.!!)
Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point, you are right. Depends on the variety (acid content and overall quality), but most probably tap out by 350 F (some higher, some lower). The more refined olive oils ("pure" or "light" versions) supposedly can handle 390 F and up. I haven't really fried with them but they look to be more neutral -- paler color and in general the processing removes the potentially healthful components that are also vulnerable to smoking.
I do like avocado oil, but the cost as you mentioned is the big sticking point for me when it comes to frying oils. I do keep some avocado oil for high heat stovetop cooking & baking, but for frying I want something more cost effective, and am not a fan of soybean oil or canola oil tastewise or healthwise.
@@highlander2000 thanks for the details, I’ll keep those in mind. I also try my best not to eat any industrial seed oils. Nasty stuff. For the videos I end up using canola now and then, I started with avocado but that was insane price wise.
I like the taco ! Looks good !
I need to do this one again sometime soon. Falafel is so dope.
More vegan recipes please!!!!! This is amazing.
NOTED THANKS!
@@BrianLagerstrom I can feel it deep within my beans that you have a secret lentil based recipe just waiting to sprout
فلافل الله احبه 😂. 🇸🇦. يجب ان تجرب فلافل القطيف في سعوديه 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Yep this channel is awesome
Thanks Ed!
@@BrianLagerstrom Haha no worries, I really love your content!
I also use quinoa for our tabbouli vs bulgar, gf here too!
Do you think baking/air frying this would work?
Made this today. Fantastic. Didn’t crumble like so many of my attempts have done before. Crispy and perfectly seasoned too. My go-to from now on.
I have to believe Brian knows this, but store-bought pita can be pliable if lightly toasted first. Not toasting is a, well, recipe for failure. Still have to handle the pita delicately but it will work.
I just avoided altogether, though, by making my standard flatbread recipe and cooking then in cast iron. Fresh flatbread made this recipe even better.
Question: is it possible to bake these when I want easier weeknight prep?
Awesome to hear, thanks for giving it a shot and for the comment
cut the whole pita from the middle n put everything then warp the first layer as tight as you can without breaking the bread then warp the 2nd layer around it to hold everything together n that's what's called a Saba (cement) sandwich here in Arabia
How much protein do you think is in each ball roughly ? Doesn’t Falafels have alot of protein ?
Excuse me but we have good felafel here in Greece and I ate very good felafel in Egypt and I'm sure that there are more countrys. 😊
We love your recipes. Any chance of the perfect Caesar Salad please? And soda bread?
A high chance of Caesar salad. I have strong opinions.
After you went to mamouns in NYC does this recipe stand the test of time?
I love your channel, but I think you're going for the Californian falafel, if you need some tips for a Palestinian/Arabic authentic falafel let me know. You're close though :) keep up the good work!
Awesome, what did I miss?
@@BrianLagerstrom - We dont have jalapenos :) so actually chilli is used.
- coriander powder and or seeds are the most distinct spice in the middle eastern falafel.
- adding sesame seeds to the mixture before frying adds a difference dimension, it's not essential but man it's good.
- Now this is the most important point, the size of the falafel should be smaller, about 2 thirds of what you made and preferably in a disc shape, before frying bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) should be added, this will make the falafel airy from the inside and crunchy from the outside, with the amount of oil you had, the falafel should float mid way and then it will be easy to flip and it will form a ball shape from the disc shape.
- I have nothing against tumeric, i think it's from the Indian version of falafel.
-For the convenience, i also use a food processor and mix all ingredients at once and it comes out ok, your method is great but I find the problem always with big chickpea pieces which I still saw in the video. Traditionally it's made with meat grinder, this produces a consistent texture for all ingredients.
Sorry about the article above :) but I love my falafel and thank you for making a video about it!
@@waelaltalaa great tips! His Falafel was to dense ... but nice video! Keep it up!
Might try using your tortilla recipe instead of pita!
Do you stll live in St. Louis?.... I see the Schnucks products and I used to shop there (and work there)....I now live in China, but it's nice to see the hometown stuff
I do! Cheers
Yummmm! I have been missing authentic delicious falafel in my life. I haven’t found them yet here in STL, so I guess I can just make them now 😋
Julie Aronson go for it. It’s really easy. And it’s def better than anything I’ve had here.
When you were having trouble with the pita, I was secretly hoping you would make your own. 😋
Haha seriously, I think that was a missed opportunity. I was just tired and crushed by pita at that point.
@@BrianLagerstrom As far as I know store-bought pitas have to be toasted first before loading them :)
I’ve just had dinner and now I’m hungry again?? Second dinner could be a thing right!? Choakin to try this one ☺️
Haha I like that phrase. I’m Choakin to use it myself
@@BrianLagerstrom Scottish slang ftw!
NYC Style - Use (Large) flour tortillas & make the sandwich as a wrap/semi-burrito
Great video! I just subbed. I am gluten-free as well so its always nice to see gluten-free recipes. One Question. What camera/cameras do you use?
Jimmy John I use the canon m50 with the kit lense. Thanks for the comment, for watching and thanks for the sub!
Also my wife has a gluten intolerance so I have gf versions for almost all of my recipes (aside from bread). Feel free to ask if I don’t mention it in the videos.
@@BrianLagerstrom Thanks! I really appreciate it! Do you guys have trouble finding good gluten-free bread?
@@jimmyjohn7892 well that depends on what we're comparing it to. we don't eat a TON of gluten free bread, but favs have been canyon bakehouse though they changed their formula, and honestly the live g free brand by aldi can be solid. we toast it all anyway just to use as a vehicle for butter/jam or sandwiches. something i've been buying (though it's expensive) is the base culture grain free also. definitely haven't found anything that can compare to a real sourdough. do you have any favorites?
@@BrianLagerstrom Thanks for the brands! I've never had the aldi's one but I have had some of their other products. I will have to try. My favorite comes from Deland Bakery. It is by far the best bread I have found. I don't believe it is a dedicated facility, but I have never had an issue with it. We get their bagels, buns, bread, and rolls!
AHAHAHA.. ahahahaha!! HAHAAA, hohohohooo! 100% disasters and store bought flat breads can just crap out on you. I admire your contingency-fast-thinking-genius. Excellent job. It's funny sometimes how you can make miracle happen when under pressure, if you've got an imagination. Love this video.
Thanks for watching!!
@@BrianLagerstrom You and Weissman, and Sam and Claudia and Ramsey and Babitch and Kent Rollins Cowboy Cooking (pardon if I misspelled any) are my tops. It's not just a shared cooking experience, it's the humor, style and delivery. Big fan, and of course I subscribe and like. It's a big deal. Cheers.