When I moved to Fairbanks, one thing I was absolutely twitterpated with was the coffee shack. Throughout town, there are tiny drive-thrus (like, 8×8 tiny) where a couple baristas dance around each other, preparing lattes and frappes for sleep deprived, thirsty customers . There’s a window on either side where lines of cars gather every morning and passengers order their cups of joe. Trust me, people have their favorite shacks. Baristas know us by name and usually know our order off the top of their heads because we’re considered frequent fliers. The coffee shack is indeed one of the best things about this place.
The best thing about this place is Pita Place, a falafel joint on College Road, nestled in a parking lot walking distance from University of Alaska Fairbanks. What makes it so special?
- It’s the best falafel you will ever eat.
- It’s cheap.
- It’s the best falafel you will ever eat.
- Everything is homemade and most veggies are sourced locally.
- It’s fast.
- You can get your falafel in a bowl or in a pita. Most folks get theirs stuffed in a pita, layered between homemade hummus, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, cilantro, and a mystery spicy sauce that might as well be served in a shot glass.
- There’s a spicy option.
- If you dine “in”, you dine under the clouds, otherwise, you get it to go.
- The pita bread is soft, chewy, and the perfect vehicle
- (For an even #10) It’s the best falafel you will ever eat.
The only drawback is it’s only open during the summer months. Unlike the insulated and well heated coffee shacks, the food shacks (there are several of them around town) are a summer affair. They’re shells of buildings, some on wheels some housed in old campers, which make them vaguely similar to food trucks, and they’re the best restaurants in town.
I recently entered a food contest sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill called Spar for the Spurtle. One of the requirements of the contest was to use steel cut oats in a dish. I have had a bag of steel cut oats in my grains bin for about a year, so I pulled them out and thought they would be an interesting binder in falafel.
The summer is quickly coming to an end and what is a girl to do in the winter without Pita Place? I’ve gone 5 winters without, and I was hell bent on coming up with something that resembled the little balls of chickpea perfection. The homemade slightly chewy, pillowy pita, on the other hand, is something that goes way beyond my abilities in the kitchen.
This recipe isn’t as tasty as the “real thing” from Pita Place but it will get me through the winter.
- For the Falalfel
- 1½ cups dried chickpeas (soaked overnight)
- ⅔ cups steel cut oats (soaked overnight)
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. cayenne
- Lemon juice, to taste
- Vegetable oil to fry
- For the Sauce
- 8 oz. plain yogurt
- ½ English cucumber, peeled and diced
- 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- Garnish: prepared hummus, shredded lettuce, diced red onion, diced tomato, and pepperoncinis
- The night before, soak 1½ cups dried chickpeas in water. In a separate bowl, cover ⅔ cups steel cut oats with water; let sit overnight.
- Before preparing falafel, mix plain yogurt, the English cucumber, fresh cilantro, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp onion powder. Let sit for flavors to marry as you prepare the falafel. The longer it sits, the better.
- Fit your food processor with the steel mixing blade. In the bowl of processor, measure 2½ cups soaked chickpeas, ⅔ cups steel cut oats,chopped red onion, garlic cloves, fresh parsley,fresh cilantro, cumin, salt, cayenne, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Turn food processor on low and mix until contents begin to stick together; go beyond a rice texture, but don't quite blend to a paste. You want it to have a nice, full falafel texture.
- Once everything is mixed, test a small bit of the batter by rolling into a ball the size of a ping pong ball. If it's too dry and the ball does not hold its shape, add a little bit of the oat water from the bowl and incorporate into the mixture. This will help it stick together. Roll the mixture evenly into balls and place on a plate. Once balls are rolled, place plate in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, pour about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a skillet. Heat over high until oil reaches 375 degrees. Remove falafel from fridge and carefully add to hot oil. Cook, 6 balls at a time, until falafel turns golden brown, about 45 seconds a batch. Make sure your oil stays hot so the falafel balls fry evenly. When done, put on a paper towel covered plate.
- Serve falafel when it's hot by spreading a generous amount of prepared hummus in a pita, add shredded lettuce, diced red onion, diced tomato, and falafel. Drizzle with cucumber-yogurt sauce, top with a pepperoncini and enjoy!
Melanie Wells says
Mary Catherine ~ I’m inspired! I love your writing and your photos. I’m not much of a cook but you make this sound so delicious and so “do-able” that I might just give it a try. I’m so glad I found your blog. You have a new fan 😉
Mary Catherine says
I’m so happy you found me! There’s a caveat on all my recipes: if you try it and something is unclear or confusing, please let me know and I will clarify and make modifications to the recipes as needed. Recipe writing is tougher than it looks!
We’ll be sure to stay in touch!