Ras el Hanout infuses these falafel fritters with a unique North African flavor profile – one you may not be familiar with. Translating literally to “head of the shop” ras el hanout refers to the best spices at the market each day. Classic components include ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, hot paprika, and peppercorns. Add it to your spice repertoire STAT!
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
1 can
Chickpeas
2 tablespoon
Hummus
(Contains Sesame)
2 tablespoon
Flour
(Contains Wheat)
1 teaspoon
Ras el Hanout
½ ounce
Parsley
1 unit
Lemon
2 clove
Garlic
½ cup
Yogurt
(Contains Milk)
½ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains Wheat)
1 unit
Romaine Lettuce
1 unit
Cucumber
1 unit
Red Onion
¼ cup
Feta Cheese
(Contains Milk)
3 tablespoon
Olive Oil
Peel and halve the cucumber, then scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Peel and halve the cucumber lengthwise, then thinly slice the cucumber into half moons. Chop the romaine into 1-inch pieces. Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion. Finely dice the remaining half. Zest and halve the lemon. Pick the parsley leaves off the stems. Chop half the parsley leaves, reserving the remaining leaves. Reserve remaining leaves. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mince or grate the garlic.
Pickle the red onion: in a small bowl, combine the sliced red onion and the juice of one half lemon.
Make the Greek yogurt dressing: in a small bowl, combine ½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of the remaining half lemon, half the chopped parsley, and half the garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Make the falafel mixture: in a medium bowl, mash together the chickpeas and hummus until smooth. Mix in the flour, diced red onion, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon ras el hanout, the remaining chopped parsley, and remaining garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper. TIP: If you have a food processor, pulse this mixture together until chunky-smooth.
Place the panko in a small bowl. Form the falafel mixture into 1 ½-inch balls and roll in the panko. Flatten the balls into patties.
Make the falafel fritters: heat ¼-inch oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the patties to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, parsley leaves, pickled red onion, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper.
Plate the romaine salad, then top with the falafel fritters and drizzle with the Greek yogurt dressing. Sprinkle with feta and dig in!