Appetizers

Falafel Sushi Kabobs

April 18, 2023

Falafel Sushi Kabobs

Yes, I just combined falafel, sushi & kabobs, but I think I’m onto something!
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • For the Falafel:
  • 1 ¾ cups of dried chickpeas*
  • 3 garlic cloves lightly crushed
  • 1 small onion quartered
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of cayenne or to taste
  • 1 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

For the Skewers:

  • 2 cucumbers peeled into long ribbons and patted dry with a towel (see video below)
  • Favorite dips and veggies I used carrot ribbons, kalamata olives, hummus and scallions, but you can use tzatziki/feta/radish etc. get creative with it!
  • 6 ” skewers I use these ones from Amazon

For the Skewers:

  • Maple Tahini Dijon Dressing: equal parts maple syrup dijon mustard & tahini + salt & pepper to taste, to drizzle over skewers
  • Sliced scallions

Instructions
 

  • Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water by 4 inches. Soak overnight. Expect the beans to triple in volume.
  • Drain beans and reserve the soaking water. (Do not worry about this if you are using canned chickpeas.)
  • Add the remaining ingredients except the oil to your blender jar. You can use a food processor, but If you’re using a Vitamix, set to Variable 10 and then turn off and on until minced but not pureed. Add small amounts (no more than a tablespoon at a time) of the soaking water (or water) if needed to allow your blender to work. Adding too much water will make blending easier but will insure that your falafel falls apart during cooking. Taste. Then add more salt, pepper, cayenne or lemon juice to taste. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the batter and shape into balls or small patties. Spray with olive oil. Bake at 375F for ~20 mins or until lightly browned on the top.
  • To make the falafel sushi kabobs, pat your cucumber ribbons dry with a towel and lay 6 strips down vertically, as seen in the below video. First add your sauce (hummus etc.), then add add cut strips of your falafel & veggies. The sauce will hold everything together, so test how much sauce works, but sauce the entire cucumber sheet with an even coating. Tightly roll it up the cucumber roll and slice into 1.5” pieces. You can add a vegetable garnish to the end of the skewers and then your falafel sushi kabobs, but this is optional for plating.
  • For plating, spoon some hummus on the bottom of the plate, as shown in the below video. Add your skewers on top of the hummus and top with a drizzle of the maple tahini dijon dressing and some sliced scallions for a beautiful plate. Enjoy!

Notes

*If you cannot find dried chickpeas (or don’t want to wait overnight), you could also use ~5 cups of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed = 3 cans.