For the falafel

• 1½ cups/300 grams dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water and drained
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• ¾ cup cilantro leaves
• ½ cup/60 grams diced onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
• Vegetable oil, for pan-frying

For the tahini sauce

• ½ cup/120 milliliters tahini
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and macerated in 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

For the sandwiches

• 6 (½-inch/1-centimeter-thick) slices peeled eggplant
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 cup very thinly sliced red onion
• 6 tomato slices
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pitas, store-bought or homemade, cut in half
• Hummus, store-bought or homemade (optional)
• 12 thin cucumber slices
• 4 leaves head lettuce or butter lettuce

Combine all the falafel ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse until everything is ground and mixed into a fine meal texture. Form into 20 or so balls the size of golf balls.

Pour enough oil into a deep skillet to come halfway up its sides. Heat the oil over high heat to 350°F/175°C. Working in batches, fry the falafel balls until deep golden-brown, 2 minutes or so. Turn the balls over and cook until they are uniformly browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Combine all the tahini ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. With the blade running, add enough water to thin the sauce to the desired consistency, up to ½ cup/120 milliliters or as needed. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C.

Salt the eggplant slices liberally on both sides and let sit for 10 minutes. Liberally salt the red onion. Gently salt the tomato slices while you’re at it.

Rinse the eggplant, pat dry, brush both sides with olive oil, and arrange in a single layer on parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. You can also broil them to put some color on them.

Rinse the red onion under hot tap water, then pat dry.

Warm the pitas in the oven for 5 minutes or so. To make the sandwiches, first sauce the pitas with the tahini sauce and hummus (if using). Be generous, as you don’t want your sandwich to be dry. Then distribute the falafel, eggplant, tomato, onion, cucumber, and lettuce evenly among the pitas.