The Knoxville-canonical Syrian falafel sandwich: hand-rolled chickpea fritters in pita with tahini, pickled vegetables and Yassin Terou's hot sauce.

Yassin Terou arrived in Knoxville as a Syrian refugee in 2011 and opened Yassin's Falafel House on Walnut Street in 2014. The shop was named Reader's Digest 'Nicest Place in America' in 2018. The brand now operates from Marble City Food Hall, West Knoxville on Peters Road and Alcoa, with a presidential portrait of Yassin shaking hands with leaders on the wall.

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Make it at home

Serves 412 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Neutral oil for frying
  • 4 large pita breads
  • 1/2 cup tahini sauce
  • Pickled turnips and cucumbers
  • Hot sauce of choice

Method

  1. Soak the dried chickpeas in cold water overnight. Drain well.
  2. Pulse the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander and salt in a food processor until a coarse paste forms. Do not over-process.
  3. Stir in the baking powder and let the mixture rest 30 minutes.
  4. Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 F.
  5. Form the mixture into 1.5-inch balls. Fry in batches 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden.
  6. Drain on paper towels. Warm the pita breads.
  7. Open each pita, spread with tahini, add 4 falafel balls, top with pickled vegetables and hot sauce.

Editor tip. Use dried chickpeas, never canned. Canned chickpeas turn the falafel mushy. The overnight soak is essential.

Common allergens: Gluten, Sesame.