Falafel baguette with Calabrian chilis and labneh sauce
Nothing creative to say here, still at a loss for words.
For the falafel:
1 medium yellow onion, cut into a few pieces
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2, 15 oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and then dried off
Handful of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (70 grams)
Canola oil, for cooking
For the labneh sauce:
1 cup labneh (sub: full-fat Greek yogurt)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
Crusty baguette
Chopped Calabrian chili peppers (I like the ones by Divina)
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Make the falafel mixture:
In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped. Add chickpeas, parsley, salt, and cumin. Continue to pulse in the food processor until you have the consistency of a chunky hummus: not fully pureed but coming together like a dough. You may need to stop it a few times and help the parsley get under the blade.
Remove the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in baking powder and flour.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Make the labneh sauce: In a medium bowl combine labneh, dill, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Store covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
Cook the falafel:
Create balls of falafel mixture about the size of a golf ball.
Heat a few tablespoons of canola oil (enough to coat the bottom) in a pan, over medium heat. When oil is hot, add falafel balls and cook 3-4 minutes per side, until crispy and browned. I like to flatten them slightly after I flip them to the second side so they fit nicely into the sandwich and the surface area for crispiness is greater.
Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Assemble your sandwich: Layer Calabrian chili peppers, cucumber, and falafel into the baguette. Drizzle with labneh sauce. Serve with extra labneh sauce to dip on the side.