This week I have been in full on Falafel mode. I made everything from the Falafel Balls and Pita Bread to the Hummus and Tzatziki. Which was absolutely delicious and well worth the endeavor! Although, much like how hot dogs and buns never come in exactly the same numbers, I managed to make quite a few more falafel balls than pita bread. Never one to be deterred from utilizing leftovers in absolutely any way possible, I contemplated what to do about this. I could make more pita, but then I would have the opposite problem where there were more pita than falafel! I even thought about making pasta and using them as vegan meatballs. But inevitably I gave in and did what I ordinarily do when I come across leftovers that need to be utilized in a new and interesting way: turn it into a burrito. So, here you have it: a falafel burrito.
Now, falafel is not exactly pita. They're not too dissimilar in that they both are a bread product with various types of filling. I'm definitely mixing culinary genres here, though.
After all, I've created some kind of bastardized form of Middle Eastern Tex Mex.
But so much of cooking is a literal melting pot. Nothing stays in one place in time. Different cuisines influence one another. It's how innovation spreads and new and interesting combinations take form.
While this burrito isn't groundbreaking or winning any culinary awards if there were any for home cooks. It is a testament to figuring out what to do with what you have!
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Variations of Falafel Burrito
I made several versions of the full on falafel with hummus, tzatziki, radish, cucumber, and sprouts. Although this recipe just goes to show that there are other options! For the more classic ones, do contemplate cracking out the food processor and making it happen.
This falafel burrito combines falafel, hummus, tzatziki, radish, cucumber, and sprouts in a warm and toasted tortilla. It's really for when I ran out of pita bread and was too lazy to make more. Nevertheless, this classic Middle Eastern meal turned into a Tex-Mex fusion is the perfect way to utilize leftovers. Burritos are quick and easy to toss together for a 15 minute meal. I make a lot of burritos and nachos as a way to turn leftovers into a fun and interesting new dish. And this burrito's, quite frankly, pretty good. Especially with a cucumber hot sauce.
I usually top burritos with a little sour cream or Greek yogurt. Given that this is a falafel burrito, though? I added both Hummus and Tzatziki. The dried chickpeas for hummus need to soak overnight and take about 2 hours to simmer on the stove. You will also need a food processor. Tzatziki, on the other hand, takes just a few minutes to mix together in a bowl.
Falafel w/ Dill & Green Onions takes less than a half hour to actually put together. Although you will again. need to soak chickpeas overnight and have a food processor to assemble. As well as either a deep fryer, skillet with high heat oil, oven, or air fryer to cook.
Cook Tortilla
Preheat the pan on medium-high. If you aren't using cast iron, make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
Wet both sides of the tortilla and add to the preheated pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown.
Remove the tortilla from heat and turn the stove off. Add toppings and fold the burrito.
Turn the stove back up to medium and add the tortilla to the skillet immediately, before it preheats. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Rotate until all sides are cooked.The first side will likely take longer to cook than the subsequent sides, which may toast in as little as 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature if it's cooking too quickly and burning or too slowly and cracking.
Top with sprouts, hummus, tzatziki, and/or hot sauce of choice.
Serve immediately.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For a more in-depth article on burritos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Burritos. I highly suggest using cast iron and there is precise temperature that works best for cooking at that may vary slightly depending on your stovetop and type of skillet. If you're having trouble rolling the burrito without cracking, there are solutions for this as well!
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