Falafel Pita Sandwich

Yield: 100 Servings

One serving (one pita with falafel, tomato, lettuce, and sauce) provides

Meat/meat alternative: 1 1/2 oz

Vegetables: 1/2 cup

Grains: 1 serving

1 gal 2 qt 3 2/3 cups Chickpeas, canned, rinsed and drained before measuring

2 qt 3 1/3 cups Parsley, fresh, flat-leaf, chopped

1 qt 2 1/2 cups Carrots, peeled, grated

1 lb 4 oz Scallions, white and green portions, finely minced

3 oz Garlic, minced

2 tbsp plus 2 tsp Oregano, dried

2 tbsp Cumin, ground

2 tsp Table salt

6 oz Flour, all-purpose, enriched

2 tsp Baking powder

100 each Whole wheat pita

1 gal 1 qt Lettuce, shredded

2 qt Tomatoes, canned, diced

2 qt 1/2 cup Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Rinse the chickpeas and drain them in a colander. Once drained, transfer them to a food processor.
Add the parsley, carrots, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt to the chickpeas. Process until the mixture is evenly ground. (It should still have some texture, but not large chunks.)
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Sprinkle the mixture over the chickpea mixture and stir together by hand until blended. Refrigerate the batter for at least 3 and up to 24 hours before shaping.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Spray or brush a baking sheet with oil.
Pull pieces from the batter, about 3 ounces each, and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly to make a patty. Bake for 10 minutes on the first side, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Turn the patties over and bake until golden on the second side, another 5 to 6 minutes.
Cut open the top of the pitas and stuff each one with 1 ounce/3 tablespoons lettuce, 1 ounce/4 teaspoons tomato, 1 of the falafel patties, and top with 1 ounce/2 tablespoons of the cucumber yogurt sauce. Wrap if desired, Serve 1 pita per serving.

Recipe Notes:

Full-size pita bread (about 5 1/2 inches in diameter, weighs 2.9 oz) may be easier to find. Cut the pitas in half and fill as directed above.

Source: Jeremy West, Greeley-Evans Weld County School District 6