Falafel Salad

This salad recipe was shared by my friend, Neethu in Kuwait. A classic Arabic salad and a party pleaser too.... You can prepare falafel ahead of time and fry them just before preparing the salad. For healthier options you can even bake or grill the falafel.... you can add any leafy vegetable like spinach, cabbage etc to the salad.... 

Falafel Salad

Ingredients:

Small Falafel rounds -10 to15 nos (Recipe given below)

Lettuce -1 cup, diced

Capsicum - 1 small (or can use a mix of red, green, yellow capsicums)

Cucumber - 2, diced

Tomato - 1, remove seeds and diced

Parsley - 1 tbsp

Dressing:

Mayonnaise - 3 tbsp

Hot sauce - 1 tsp or as needed (I used Sriracha sauce)

Tahini sauce - 2 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Mix everything and adjust sauces according to taste.

Method:

• Chop and rinse the vegetables. Toss together. Allow to dry on a paper towel for a few minutes, while you fry or grill your falafel.
• Fry falafel and allow to drain on a paper towel.
• Just before serving put all the vegetables in a large bowl, pour the dressing over the salad and toss carefully.
• Transfer to serving bowl and add falafel rounds on top and serve immediately

Falafel

Ingredients:

½ cup dried chickpeas or grabanzo beans

1 small onion, chopped

2 flakes garlic, chopped

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin (jeera) powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp or red chilly powder

¼ tsp black pepper powder

½ tsp salt or to taste

1 ½ tbsp Semolina (suji / rava)

¼ tsp baking powder

Oil for frying

Method:

• Soak the chickpeas overnight and drain well.
• Place the drained chickpeas in a food processor. Add the onions, garlic, coriander leaves, parsley, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, black pepper powder and salt. Pulse till it forms a fine coarse dough.
• Add semolina and baking powder. Mix well. Make small round balls, flatten them slightly.
• Heat oil in a skillet, fry 3 or 4 falafel at a time till brown and cooked from inside in medium flame.
• For a healthier version you can even grill falafel.
• Remove and drain on a paper towel.