turmeric chickpea falafel gyros with golden fries
Ladies and gentlemen, the recipe that broke my camera.
My M50 shat out while photographing these gyros, essentially while I was just standing there visualizing my next shot. Rude. I’ve spoken at length about this scenario in general, so I won’t induce boredom tears by telling the tale again like an old hag with memory loss. I do think it was worth noting that this recipe was the last one I shot before a two-week M50 repair hiatus. The fritter that broke the camera’s back.
You can call them fritters or falafels – the essence of these fun nuggets remains the same, especially when you pile them into soft naan bread and serve alongside crispy golden potatoes. So good you won’t care about naming logistics. These take a bit more time than many of my easy peasy lemon-or-lime squeezy recipes of late, but they’re pretty straightforward so long as you have a food processor, a skillet, and a baking sheet for the accompanying golden fries that are spicy and crispy and all sorts of brands of excellent. Because yes, fries are never a bad idea.
Gyro Gyrations
A gyro usually denotes a pita stuffed with a specific type of shaved meat, usually lamb or beef, but our pal today contains crispy, fully vegan falafel/fritters, a hearty portion of veggies, a smattering of golden turmeric fries, and, if you wish, the feta sauce from Tuesday’s Sheet Pan Herb Lemon Butter Salmon. You do wish for that, dudes.
I start with the potatoes since they’re easy to let roast without too much attention. Simply toss sliced russets in olive oil, turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread onto a big parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through, until crispy.
While the potatoes do their thing, make the falafels. I start by whipping the carrot in the food processor since they are the most stubborn of the components, the one which like to unleash stray chunks in an otherwise smooth batter. They needn’t be entirely pureed, just uniformly whipped.
Next, chuck in everything else. Drained chickpeas, flour, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, red onion, salt and pepper. The batter should be cohesive, soft, and not crumbly, but not sticky or wet. If you need more moisture, drizzle in a tablespoon of water. Less, add a tablespoon of flour extra.
Patty Cake Patty Cake
To fry the falafels, I use less oil than is traditional (“traditional” involves deep frying, and that scares me shitless) but more than a simple saute. Think 1/4 cup worth. I also recommend reaching for pure olive oil, not extra virgin, since the smoke point is slightly higher in the former. We’re trying to crisp the fritters, not scorch them.
Get the oil going on medium heat, and while it does, form the patties. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and set on parchment or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press slightly to flatten into little wheels. Once you’ve gone through all the dough, line a bit plate with paper towels for draining the fried falafels afterwards.
When the oil shimmers, drop in the falafels, leaving a bit of space between. Don’t fear doing more than one batch! You don’t want to overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes per side, flip, and finish for 2-3 more on the opposite. Set the cooked fritters on the paper towel-lined plate to cool a bit and release excess oil. If necessary, drop another tablespoon or so of oil into the pan and repeat the frying process with the remaining falafels.
Now, the funfunfun part: building your gyros and noshing. Onto mine, I layer some arugula, cucumber, and pickled red onions, then a few falafels, and finish with fresh parsley and feta sauce. If you don’t have or want the sauce, some Greek yogurt or hummus work well too, and a sprinkle of feta on its own. Hell, the only thing making this not vegan is the suggestion of the sauce – so if vegan is your thing, just leave anything feta-related off completely!
Other appropriate components? Sliced avocado, baby tomatoes, olives, pumpkin seeds, tzaziki, tahini, roasted red peppers…Just have fun with your wrap. If you have leftover falafels, they keep well for a few days, and you can build whatever combination you’d like depending on the day’s cravings.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
turmeric chickpea falafel gyros with golden fries
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup carrot, diced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/4 cup red onion
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lb russet potatoes
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- naan, arugula, fresh parsley, pickled red onions, cucumber, and feta sauce, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub and dry the potatoes. Slice into matchsticks. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tsp turmeric, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes until crispy, tossing halfway through.
- In the bowl of a food processor, blitz the carrots until smooth (not pureed, just no longer chunky). Add the chickpeas, flour, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, red onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree until well combined. The dough should be cohesive and fairly dry, but not crumbly.
- Form the dough into 12-16 1-inch balls and set on a sheet of parchment. Press lightly to flatten into discs. Prepare a large plate with a layer of paper towels.
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place the falafels into the oil and cook 3 minutes per side, until crispy and golden. You may need to do this in batches – drizzle a bit more oil to the pan if necessary between batches. Set the falafels on the paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- To assemble: place a tuft of fresh arugula on one side of a naan loaf. Arrange cucumbers and pickled red onions overtop, then divide the falafels among the loaves. Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with feta sauce. Serve with golden fries, additional veggies and sauce on the side.
