Sun-Dried Tomato Falafel

I love falafel, but the box mixes don't cut it and there's not too many places to get it where I live!  I can't take full credit for this recipe--I picked it out of the Let's Eat section in the STL Post-Dispatch a few years ago, though I changed a few things that I thought would make these better.  These are healthier than some falafel recipes because they are not deep-fried, though if you're absolutely deep-fried crazy, I suppose you could deep-fry yours!

For the falafel:

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pieces (preferably not oil packed)
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp olive oil plus more for pan-frying
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup wheat germ (could probably sub whole wheat flour)
• 2 tbsp minced onion
• 2 tbsp minced celery
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Start by making a yogurt-tahini sauce for the falafel:  1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp tahini (sesame-seed paste), 1 clove minced garlic, and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice.  Mix well and refrigerate until using.  In a small bowl, pour the water over the sun-dried tomato pieces to reconstitute them (let sit for 10 minutes).  Drain off any excess water and transfer to a food processor with the chickpeas, garlic, salt and spices.  Process until the mixture is relatively smooth, drizzling the 2 tsp olive oil in as you go.  Next, add the onion, celery, cilantro, and wheat germ, and process until combined (just until the cilantro is chopped up and incorporated).  At this point, I transferred the mixture to a bowl and refrigerated it for a few hours, but you could make it right away too. 

Using a large skillet, put in about 2 tbsp olive oil and heat it on the stove over med-high heat.  Meanwhile, take a rounded tablespoon of the mixture and shape it with your hands into a small patty (not too thin, maybe a 1/2 inch thick).  You should make around 12 patties if they are all the same size.  When the oil is hot, add 6 at a time to your skillet.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side; if they're browning too quickly, turn the heat down.  Drain on a paper towel before serving.

To serve:  Pita bread is the best option, but I've also eaten falafel in a whole-grain tortilla too.  Additionally, you could eat these like crab cakes and then have a rice pilaf or couscous salad on the side.  Serve the falafel with the tahini-yogurt sauce, cucumber slices, and lettuce (if desired).  Enjoy!