Falafel with Tangy Tahini Sauce

2 cans (15-16 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 tablespoons parsley, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 tablespoons flour

4 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoon chili powder

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Sauce

1 cup tahini, stirred well

¹⁄₃ cup fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

2 cloves garlic, mashed and minced

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ cup plain low-fat yogurt

For serving

4 pita rounds

4 Romaine lettuce leaves

Chopped tomato

Thinly sliced red onion

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Place the beans, parsley, garlic, flour and spices in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until it looks like a thick paste, but not too smooth.

Use a cookie dough scoop or your hands to form the mixture into about golf ball-sized pieces and flatten slightly and put on the cookie sheet.

Bake 18-20 minutes, flipping falafel about half way through.

For the sauce: In a medium bowl stir the tahini, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt and yogurt until well blended. Add a bit of water if you want it thinner.

To serve: Place a lettuce leaf on each pita, put two to three patties on the lettuce and top with onion and tomato. Spoon sauce over all. Or, skip the pita and veggies and just dip the warm falafel into the sauce.

Serves four.

Jerome Gabriel