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Recipe

A Bite To Eat With Alice: Falafel pita pockets with jalapeño

Prep time: 
25
Cook time: 
40
Skill level: 
Medium
Serves: 
4
Falafel pita pockets filled with crispy falafel, fresh tomatoes, herbs, tahini sauce, and sunflower seed.

Falafel pita pockets – a fresh, vibrant and nutrient-rich meal packed with crispy falafel, juicy tomatoes, creamy tahini and crunchy sunflower seeds. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Alice Zaslavsky is the host of A Bite To Eat with Alice, weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV and anytime on ABC iview. Alice is the resident culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast and ABC Radio, a food literacy advocate, bestselling cookbook author, and creator of Phenomenom, a free digital toolbox helping teachers slip more serves of veg into the curriculum.

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Georgie Carroll needs quick, nutritious meals that are satisfying and full of flavour, and Alice delivers with these Falafel Pita Pockets. 

Chickpeas, peas, spices, garlic, and onion arranged on a wooden surface for falafel.

Fresh and simple ingredients come together for these nutrient-rich falafel pita pockets, packed with protein, fibre and bold flavours. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Uncooked falafel balls on a lined baking tray.

Freshly-rolled falafel balls, ready to be fried until crispy and golden. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

A step up from the classic, this version adds a kick of jalapeño to the crispy, golden falafels, bringing extra warmth to every bite. 

Golden-brown fried falafel resting on a wire rack over a baking tray.

Crispy, golden falafels — perfectly crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Stuffed into warm pita pockets with juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs and a creamy tahini dressing, this dish is protein-packed, high in fibre and bursting with vibrant flavours. 

Person assembling a falafel pita pocket with fresh tomatoes and tahini sauce on a wooden board.

Stuffing warm pita pockets with crispy falafel, juicy tomatoes and creamy tahini sauce — fresh, fast and full of nutritional flavour! (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Whether it's a fast lunch or a mid-week meal, this plant-based recipe proves that healthy eating can still be delicious and exciting.

Tips

  • Fix wet chickpeas: Tinned chickpeas are often too wet for falafel, but chickpea flour helps bind the mixture.
  • Adjust the spice: Reduce or omit the jalapeño, if you prefer a milder flavour.
  • Store in the fridge: Cooked falafels can be kept in an airtight container and reheated as needed.
  • Freeze for later: Deep-fried falafels can be frozen and reheated in the oven.
  • Bake for a healthier option: Skip frying and bake at 180°C until golden, for a lighter alternative.

Here's the full list of recipes from Season 2 of A Bite To Eat With Alice.

This recipe appears in A Bite to Eat with Alice, a new nightly cooking show on ABC iview and weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV.

A Bite To Eat With Alice: Falafel pita pockets with jalapeño

Prep time: 
25
Cook time: 
40
Skill level: 
Medium
Serves: 
4

Ingredients

Falafel mixture 

  • ½ brown onion, peeled and quartered 
  • 400g can chickpeas, drained 
  • ½ cup frozen peas, thawed 
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander  
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 2—3 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 3 tablespoons pickled (or fresh) jalapeños, roughly chopped 
  • ½ cup chickpea flour (besan) or plain flour 
  • 1 cup packed mint leaves 
  • 1 cup packed coriander leaves 
  • 1 lemon, zested (juice reserved for flatbread) 
  • Salt flakes, to season 
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to season 
  • Oil, for frying (I like rice bran or grapeseed oil) 

Pita pocket filling

  • 3 tomatoes, roughly chopped 
  • Small handful coriander leaves, roughly torn 
  • Small handful mint leaves, roughly torn 
  • 4 tablespoons tahini 
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
  • 4 small soft pita breads 
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds 

Method

  1. In a food processor, combine the onion, chickpeas, peas, ground coriander, cumin, baking powder, garlic, jalapeños, flour, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture comes together, but still has some texture. 
  2. Heat frying oil (6—8cm deep) in a heavy-based pot over medium heat. Test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of the falafel mixture into the oil. If it sizzles, then the oil is ready. To check the consistency of the mixture, roll 1 ball and add it into the heated oil. If it stays together while cooking, then you're good to keep rolling. If the mixture falls apart while cooking, then add some more chickpea flour to help bind.  
  3. Form the mixture into 12 small balls, about the size of a golf ball, or into a football shape if you're that way inclined. Carefully add 4—5 falafel balls and cook for about 5 minutes, or until evenly browned on all sides. Remove the cooked falafel with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
  4. While the falafels rest, prepare a salad by combining the tomatoes with the torn coriander and mint leaves, then season with salt and pepper in a bowl.  
  5. To make tahini dressing, combine tahini, lemon juice and 1—2 tablespoons of warm water. Mix until smooth and runny, you may want to add some more water.  
  6. Warm the pita pockets in a dry pan over a medium heat until warmed (or in the microwave, wrapped in a slightly dampened kitchen towel). Cut the pita in half, then spoon in a generous amount of tahini sauce. Spoon in some salad and top with the warm falafel and a scatter of toasted sunflower seeds.
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