Ellen's Falafel With Pickled Vegetables and Minted Lemon Yogurt

Name: Ellen's Falafel With Pickled Vegetables and Minted Lemon Yogurt
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1500 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Fusion,Kosher,Middle Eastern,American
Ingredients: 3 cups water; 1 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 star anise; 12 black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 2 bay leaves; 2 sprigs fresh thyme, broken into short pieces; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 cups (1/2 pound) finely shredded green cabbage; 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced 1/4-inch thick, optional; 1 (10-ounce) package good quality falafel mix; Canola oil, for frying; Dash salt; Dash freshly ground black pepper; 4 pieces pita bread, cut in half; Vidalia onion marmalade, for garnish, optional; 1 cup plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt; 3 finely chopped fresh mint leaves; 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest; 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1/4 teaspoon honey, if you’re using plain yogurt; Dash salt; Dash freshly ground black pepper

A flavorful falafel dish is prepared with crisp pickled vegetables and a refreshing minted lemon yogurt sauce.

⭐ 3.6 (7 reviews) Prep: 45 minCook: 15 minTotal: 1500 minYields: 4 servings

Category Tags:

Dinner Entree Lunch Snack Sandwich

Cuisine Tags:

Fusion Kosher Middle Eastern American

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Ingredients

For the Pickled Vegetables:

3 cups water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 star anise
12 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, broken into short pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups (1/2 pound) finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced 1/4-inch thick, optional

For the Falafel:

1 (10-ounce) package good quality falafel mix
Canola oil, for frying
Dash salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
4 pieces pita bread, cut in half
Vidalia onion marmalade, for garnish, optional

For the Minted Lemon Yogurt:

1 cup plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt
3 finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon honey, if you’re using plain yogurt
Dash salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 F.
To pickle vegetables, combine water, vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, coriander, fennel, bay leaves, thyme, and garlic in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cool.
Mix cabbage, carrots, onions, and optional jalapeño in a large bowl.
Strain the cooled pickling liquid into another saucepan, discard spices, and bring the liquid back to a boil.
Pour the hot liquid over the vegetables, stir, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours to 3 days.
For the minted lemon yogurt, combine 1 cup yogurt, chopped mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, optional honey, salt, and pepper; whisk, cover, and refrigerate.
Prepare falafel mixture per package directions, forming into slightly flattened, walnut-sized balls.
Heat 3 inches of oil to 325 F in a heavy saucepan. Fry falafel in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season.
Warm pitas in the preheated oven while the falafel cook.
Serve by layering minted lemon yogurt, pickled vegetables, and three falafel into each pita half, adding optional onion marmalade.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories: 828 kcal

Carbohydrate: 115 g

Cholesterol: 3 mg

Fiber: 10 g

Protein: 17 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Sodium: 767 mg

Sugar: 45 g

Fat: 34 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0 g