Falafelogs with Cucumber Relish

Created by our own Joni Marie Newman

Soy free | Nut free | No added oil | No added sugar
This dish is like a falafel hot dog! These logs are fun to make, and they’re easy, too. The parsley and cilantro add a bright, fresh flavor.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

For Falafelogs:
1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 3/4 cups (TK) cooked chickpeas
1 cup (160 g) diced yellow onion (about 1/2 large onion)
1 Roma tomato, roughly chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 ounce (28 g) fresh parsley (about 1 cup fresh leaves)
1/2 ounce (14 g) fresh cilantro (about 1/3 cup fresh leaves)
2 to 4 large garlic cloves, to taste
1/2 cup (60 g) chickpea flour
1/2 cup (72 g) vital wheat gluten flour*
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For Cucumber Relish:
1/2 cup (128 g) tahini*
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
3 to 4 large cloves garlic, to taste
2 teaspoons dried dill or 2 tablespoons (7 g) fresh dill
1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon (1 g) fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon (1 g) fresh chopped parsley
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
6 to 8 pitas

*Tahinis vary in texture and thickness, from very liquidy to very thick. This measure assumes you’re using a more liquid tahini. If yours is very thick, you may need to thin it out with water or vegetable broth to reach the consistency of a pourable milkshake. You want a total of 1/2 cup (120 ml), so adjust tahini amount as needed. You can make the logs gluten-free by substituting chickpea flour for the vital wheat gluten flour. The logs may be a little more fragile, but they will still taste great!

Method

To make the falafelogs: Add log ingredients to a food processor and process until a loose dough forms. (It should be the consistency of peanut butter.)
Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover, and chill 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator. (This step allows the gluten to develop.)
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or reusable silicone baking mat.
Scoop about 1/3 cup (3 1/2 ounces, or 100 g) dough and form into a log shape about 6- to 7-inches long by 1 1/2-inches wide (15 to 17-cm long x 4-cm wide). (The dough is very soft, and you may need to form the log right on the baking sheet. Don't worry, they will firm up when baked.)
Repeat until all of the dough is used. Bake 20 minutes, flip, and bake 20 minutes, or until exterior is firm and browned. (They might look dry, but the inside will be nice and soft.)

Meanwhile, prepare the Cucumber Relish: To make the relish, into a blender, pour tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Purée until smooth. (The lemon juice will curdle the tahini (similar to buttermilk), resulting in an airy, fluffy-like mixture.)
Remove mixture from the blender and place in a mixing bowl. Fold in dill, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
Assemble the pitas by placing the Falafelog in the center and topping with a liberal amount of relish.

Enjoy!