Rather than a heavy, fried falafel, here's an updated version of this pocket sandwich: a light chickpea patty served in a whole-wheat pita with a flavorful but light tahini sauce.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

Chickpea burgers
1 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 6 1/2-inch whole-wheat pitas, halved and warmed, if desired

Tahini sauce
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini (see Ingredient note)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. To prepare burgers: Place chickpeas, scallions, egg, flour, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, until a coarse mixture forms that holds together when pressed. (The mixture will be moist.) Form into 4 patties.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden and beginning to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more.
3. To prepare sauce & serve: Meanwhile, combine yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Divide the patties among the pitas and serve with the sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 399 calories; 16 g fat (3 g sat, 8 g mono); 55 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrate; 15 g protein; 9 g fiber; 742 mg sodium.
Nutrition bonus: Fiber (37% daily value), Folate (32% dv), Vitamin C (30% dv), Iron
(20% dv).

TIP: Ingredient Note: Tahini is a smooth, thick paste made from ground sesame seeds and commonly used in Middle Eastern foods. Look for it in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters in large supermarkets.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate the uncooked burger mixture and tahini sauce for up to 2 days.

I had to adjust my recipe because I could only find a 15oz can of chickpeas, so it may have been a little more wet than normal. However, this was still a really tasty recipe that I am going to make again this week.

Anonymous, Salem, MA

the flavors were great but i ended up with way too much pita. next time, i'll try these with some tabbouleh instead of pita.

Anonymous, oakland, ca

Love it!

Anonymous, Portland, OR

Delicious! This is a great recipe. We added some avocado, tomato, and sprouts in whole wheat pita. This has entered the "regular rotation" in our house.

Anonymous, Long Beach, CA

Very tasty, if somewhat time consuming.

Simply DELICIOUS recipe...yes, a tiny bit time consuming, but worth it. I would double this and try freezing some mix for later, maybe? SOOO yummy, and the sauce is the perfect accompaniment. These would also make great hors d'oeuvre!

Anonymous, Oak Bluffs, MA

It had a lot of flavor. Easy to make. Just put in the mini food processor. It did need extra flour to hold together but a easy recipe.

Anonymous, LaCresenta, CA

Great dish. Instead of hamburger sized patties, I just dropped a spoon full into the oil for mini patties. I used 2 cap-fulls of oil for the pan, I may do a bit more next time. Thank you

Roger, Sacramento, CA

Great vegetarian option! I made this last night, and it was very easy. I had a hard time finding the Tahini, so made a modified yogurt sauce and served them with that and salsa. Very good. Thanks! www.eatatthetable.com

Eat At The Table, Washington, DC

This recipe can't be right -- i made as directed and the mixture was so wet that i couldn't form a patty of any sort. After two attempts at frying them in olive oil, adding more flour after the first, i threw the batter away. Now i am wondering what to make for dinner...

D, London

One of the few things I've ever made to turn out just like the picture. They were delicious... and the sauce went perfectly with them.

Katey

This one is in our regular rotation as well. To help form the patties, dip hands in water, spoon mix into hand, squish into shape, and place on square of wax paper. Then you can move them into the pan (or fridge to firm up) without directly touching them. Plop upside down in pan, then peel off wax paper. Instead of tahini sauce, we do a raita with lowfat plain yogurt, ground cumin, salt, fresh mint, chopped seeded cucumber, and quartered grape tomatos. Have yet to see a 19 oz can of chickpeas. Usually open two cans and reserve the leftovers for salads.

Daytona, Camp Hill, PA

This recipe was a big success to me because i have tried to make veggie burgers in the past and they have not come out very tasty. So i gave this recipe a try and i found out it worked quite nicely. I made it without the tahini sauce and the spices and put it on a slice of ezekiel bread and it was still tasty! it was just a little bland though, but i might try to add my own blend of spices. Overall a very good recipe! Great job!

MM, ID

This was fabulous! It came together just like the recipe said.. and it was DELISH!!! Our new favorite here. Great job Eating Well! We love the vegetarian protein packed meals like this one. Thanks so much!

Carrie, Sarasota, FL

Fantastic! Fast! Easy, and whats more it is close to the BEST Falafel I eatin town!

Patty, San Jose, CA

Yummy tasting recipe! I make my own tahini by grinding up toasted sesame (3-5 min in oven) seeds in a coffee grinder, then just adding a bit of olive oil til the consistency is right - so much better and less expensive than store bought.

Janice, San Jose, MX