Falafel in Laffa with Tahini and Pickles with homemade tahini sauce

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas a whole night (about 12 hours) in plenty of cold water, drain, spread on a towel and dry well.

   Bowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Grind the chickpeas in a food processor with the parsley, cilantro, onion and garlic, in pulses, to an even, grainy mixture, not a paste.

   Food processor

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
3. 3
   Add the cumin, turmeric and salt, mix and refrigerate 30 minutes.

   Refrigerator
4. 4
   Form walnut-size balls with wet hands and press each one lightly.
5. 5
   Heat the oil' in a deep pot' to 175°C (345°F) and fry the balls in batches for 3–4 minutes, until golden. Transfer to paper towels.

   StoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerDeep pot for frying

   💡Keep the oil at 170–180°C: too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

   💡Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.
6. 6
   Warm the laffas and spread a little tahini on each.

   StoveFrying pan
7. 7
   Arrange the falafel, the tomatoes and the sauerkraut on the laffas and drizzle the rest of the tahini on top.
8. 8
   Roll up the laffas and serve.
9. 9
   Mix the tahini and lemon juice and season with salt.
10. 10
    Gradually add cold water while stirring, until the sauce is smooth, pale and pourable.

    💡When you add the first water, the tahini thickens and looks like dough: that's fine. Keep adding water and stirring, and it loosens into a smooth sauce.