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Falafel Platter on a blue background.

Falafel Platter

Keri Bevan
Make a falafel platter, aka a mezze board, that's as beautiful to look at as it is tasty to eat! You can use store bought ingredients to save time, or use my recipes to make your own falafel and dips from scratch. Falafel platters work equally well as a family dinner as they do for parties and get-togethers. I'll show you how to adjust the amount of ingredients to accommodate the amount of guests you'll be serving.
4.98 from 43 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chill time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Israeli, Middle Eastern
Servings 4 servings
Calories 701 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Falafel Platter

  • 1 recipe for falafel (below) 15-20 store bought falafel balls or patties *or use recipe for falafel (below)
  • 1 1 cup of store bought tahini sauce * or recipe for lemony tahini sauce (see below)
  • 1 1 cup of store bought hummus *recipe gluten free hummus
  • 1 cup vegan yogurt mixed with herbs *see example recipe in post
  • ½ cup pickled onions (store bought_ * or use my recipe for pickled shallots
  • ½ English cucumber cut into batons
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
  • 3 pieces pita bread *or use my recipe for Turkish bread.
  • 1 cup black olives
  • ½ cup vegan feta *crumbled or in cubes
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges
  • handful of fresh herbs *I used dill

Make Your Falafel

  • 1 15 ounce can chickpeas
  • ½ red onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried coriander
  • 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • oil for frying

Tahini Sauce

  • ⅔ cup tahini
  • 4 cloves garlic smashed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

Falafel Platter Instructions

  • If you're going to make your falafels from scratch, make them first. You'll need to allow at least an hour for the falafel dough to chill in the fridge, so you can get on with making your dips or assembling your platter. Follow the recipe listed above. Refer to the blog post for step-by-step visual instructions.
  • While your falafel batter is chilling, make your tahini sauce using the simple recipe and instructions below.
  • If you want to make your own hummus, do that now. Here's a recipe for creamy hummus. Above, in the ingredients section, you'll see a basic recipe for yogurt dip. Make the dip.
  • You can either use store bought pickled onion, or you can make your own
  • Slice your cucumber and cherry tomatoes.
  • Assemble your platter by putting your dips in small bowls. You can see that I've put my pickled onions, yogurt sauce and tahini sauce in small bowl, and I've put my hummus directly onto the board and topped it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  • Build your falafel platter out by piling your falafel balls up in two different areas of your mezze board.
  • Tuck your bread underneath the falafels.
  • Fill in the blank spaces of your board with olives, veggies and a pile of feta cheese. Arrange fresh herbs around the parameter of your falafel platter. If you want to add an extra touch sprinkle your mezze board with some sesame seeds and spices like sumac. Or, give it a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Make The Falafel

  • Drain the chickpeas. Finely chop the onion, garlic, parsley and dill.
  • Add all the falafel ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a course meal.
  • Transfer the falafel mixture to an airtight container, and put it in the fridge to chill for at least one hour, ideally overnight.
  • While the falafel is chilling prepare the tahini sauce.

Make The Tahini Sauce

  • Add the garlic and tahini paste to a food processor and blend until the garlic is fully incorporated.
  • Add the sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice and blend again, scraping down the sides several times.
  • Add a splash of warm water to thin the paste. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the consistency is to your liking.

Cook The Falafel

  • Using wet hands, shape the falafel into balls or disk shaped patties that are approximately ½ inch thick.
  • In a medium saucepan, heat about 2 inches of oil over medium high heat. When the oil begins to bubble, drop the falafel patties in, using a slotted spoon. Be careful to keep the falafel evenly spaced out in the oil. You may need to work in batches. Fry the falafel until it's golden brown. Keep a close eye on them, as they burn quickly. I've found that 2-3 minutes is ideal.
  • Transfer the falafel balls to a paper towel lined plate. Let it cool off slightly before eating.

Notes

Storage
To store leftover falafel, first allow it to cool down to room temperature. Then, place the falafel in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you need to store the falafel for longer, you can freeze it for up to three months. To freeze, place the falafel in a freezer-safe container or bag and label it with the date. When you're ready to eat the falafel, simply reheat it in the oven or toaster oven until it's heated through and crispy. Avoid microwaving the falafel as it can make it soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 701kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 21gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gSodium: 1531mgPotassium: 688mgFiber: 12gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 415IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 5mg
Keyword falafel plate, falafel platter, mezze board
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