Traditionally Tabouleh is made with bulgar wheat. We made this one a tad quicker by substituting cous cous instead. Enjoy!
Cous Cous “Tabouleh” Ingredients
- 1 C. cous cous
- 1 C. Water or chicken stock
- 1 cucumber, small diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, small diced
- 4 oz. parsley, roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, small diced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Instructions for Cooking: Ratio for cooking Cous cous is 1:1
Boil 1 cup of water or chicken stock.
Season with a pinch of salt and pour over 1 Cup of cous cous in a shallow baking dish and stir to evenly distribute. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Carefully remove plastic wrap, using a fork fluff the cous cous. Let cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the salad.
In a large mixing bowl combine cooked cous cous, diced cucumber, tomato, onion, and parsley. Squeeze with lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and give it a try, adjust with more seasoning or olive oil as needed.
To help with the astringent raw onion flavor try soaking your diced onions in some ice water for 10-20 minutes, and then strain and add to salad.
Falafel Cooking Directions
Defrost Falafel mix overnight under refrigeration. Shape mix into balls or patties using your hands or an ice cream scoop. If you find the mixture is too wet, you can add a tablespoon of chickpea flour or All-purpose flour. If it’s too dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or two of water. They should hold together when shaped without crumbling
Once the falafel is formed it is time to cook them! To deep fry the falafel, add about 3 inches of vegetable oil to a pot on medium heat. Make sure that the pot you choose is tall enough to account for bubbling up that occurs when falafel are cooking.
Heat the oil to 350F. Cook the falafel in batches (about 6-8 at a time) turning once, for 1-2 minutes or until golden.
Using a skimmer, scoop out and place on a rack or a paper towel to drain off any excess oil. Make sure to maintain your oil temperature so that they do not get too dark.
To put together with falafel, warm pita in the oven or toaster oven till they are softened and warm, but not toasted. Cut in half and open the pita pouch. Place in a few pieces of cooked falafel, drizzle with tahini sauce, add a spoonful of cous cous salad and drizzle with more tahini if desired.
Enjoy!