spinach-black rice falafel wraps

The first time I had falafels was in NYC, from a tiny place right below an even tinier room of an apartment in the West Village, where my sister lived as a graduate student.  Starting early evening, the aromas of falafels frying would waft up through the vent and slowly the street below would fill up with people enjoying an evening out!  I would stand by the window and people-watch while waiting for my sister to come back from her classes.  Sometimes she would stop and pick up a couple of falafel sandwiches for dinner and we would make a cup of tea and chat.  It has been many, many years but those memories and tastes still linger 🙂

Over the years, we have had falafels in many places and countries and as vegetarians, it has been a savior as a meal after a long day of sightseeing.  And of course, I have tried to make them at home whenever I came across a recipe that beckoned – baked, fried, pan-fried, I tried them all!  Sometimes they have been pretty good and other times have missed the mark, but I have never let that deter me 🙂  For quite some time now, I have been making this version adding a bunch of herbs, spinach and black rice.  Super crunchy on the outside, really soft inside and absolutely bursting with flavor, these have been on my “recipes for blog” list.

Then I made it again this week. For my friend’s daughter U., who is visiting me for a couple of weeks from Germany.  She is a wonderful teen – loving, sweet-tempered and amiable.  And we have been spending time talking, shopping …..and cooking up a storm.  She is also a vegetarian and so we have exchanged many notes and a promise for the recipe of her very best pasta sauce 🙂 Lunches have been simple affairs, mainly of sandwiches or paninis and I decided to make these wraps for a change.  We went all out…..even making the pita flatbreads and tahini.  It was a real special experience for me to be cooking and photographing with someone….not to mention the joy of having her help hold a bounce or reflector instead of me doing a balancing act with my knees or head!

I have seen many recipes for falafels using cooked or canned chickpeas but have had terrible luck with them.  It was like watching a magic trick where I dropped the falafels into the oil only to watch them disappear in front of my eyes, and baking gave me really dry falafels with a chalky texture.  So I figured adding a bunch of spinach and other greens and serving it with a lot more vegetables would blunt the guilt of deep-frying these:)

I served them with some mixed greens, cucumbers and radishes and a yogurt-dill sauce along with a tahini-pink peppercorn sauce and a sprinkling of za’atar.  The pink peppercorn, although unconventional, tastes delicious in the wrap.  You can also use black or white pepper instead.  You can load the wrap with any number of fillings and I already have my list for next time –  some pickled turnips or a white bean salad with tomatoes and some hummus.  These make a very filling meal and a nice twist on a lunch sandwich:)

Spinach & Black Rice Falafel Wraps

Printable recipeFalafels:3 cups soaked chickpeas
3/4 cup cooked black rice
1 small thai green pepper
1/2 cup fresh mint, tightly packed
1/4 cup cilantro, tightly packed
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, tightly packed
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves, tightly packed
1/2 cup chopped scallion, tightly packed
2 cloves garlic
1  1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp baking soda
salt to taste
oil for deep-fryingAdd the mint, cilantro, parsley, thai pepper, garlic and scallion to the food processor bowl and pulse 3-4 times.

Add the chickpeas and pulse 4-5 times until the chickpeas start to break down.  Then add the spinach, sesame seeds, black rice, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper powders, tahini, lemon juice, baking soda and salt and run the food processor until you get a coarse mixture.  You might have to scrape down the sides a few times while grinding.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and take about 1/8 cup of this mixture and make into a ball.  Flatten very slightly and fry on first on medium and then on high heat until they turn dark golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Yogurt-Dill Sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 to 3/4  tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix everything in a bowl along with some water to get the right consistency; depending on whether you want a thicker or thinner sauce

Tahini – Pink Peppercorn Sauce:

1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup warm water
1 clove garlic
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp pink peppercorns (optional)
1/8 tsp honey (optional)
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt to taste

Blend everything except the peppercorns in a blender or food processor. You may need to add more water depending on how thick you want the sauce to be.

Crush the pink peppercorns between your fingers or on the counter with a rolling pin and stir into sauce.  Garnish with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

* Notes:

If you find the falafels are not holding together, you can add a tbsp or two of chickpea flour.  Try frying one first.  It looks a little delicate when you are rolling but holds up really well once put in the oil.

The Pita bread was made from this recipe; I use half all-purpose and 1/2 white whole wheat flour.

I usually soak a whole bag of chickpeas and freeze what I don’t use  – both as cooked and raw.  It is great to throw into soups and salads.  Same with the black rice – I cook a couple of cups of rice and freeze the rest in ziploc bags and use in burritos, quesadillas….everything 🙂