Since Jaye and I have been living in the Middle East (Dubai) for 9 years now, let me tell you, we’ve eaten a LOT of falafel.
One of my favorite things about living here is how awesome (and available) things like ready-made hummus, baba ganoush/moutabel and gorgeous falafel wraps actually are!
So even though I am an old hand at making my own hummus and most definitely can make a fantastic baba ganoush, I hadn’t tried making my own vegan falafel before now! Because I can so easily go down the road and pick up a fabulous falafel wrap for 5 bucks (about $1.36) and it will be filling and delicious!
But hey, we won’t be here forever, South Africa is calling my name (loudly), so I wanted to perfect an easy vegan falafel recipe that I can whip up anytime, anywhere, so when I go somewhere where it’s not available in every food court, I can still satisfy my falafel cravings! Which is very important you know.
And this vegan falafel recipe is it! Super easy, super quick and super delicious!
Served with a garlic tahini sauce your falafel cravings will be perfectly satisfied with this recipe!
I was initially going to go with falafel balls, which is usually what is served here, but the thing with falafel balls is that you need quite a bit of oil to fry them in. The oil needs to be as high as the balls are so that they get nicely browned and crisped along the sides. And I’m not usually too keen on using a lot of oil.
So I rolled them into balls at first, but then when frying I flattened them down with a spatula so that they were nicely flattened and easy to fry like you would a veggie burger. You can flatten them while frying like I did, or you can dip the bottom of a glass in some flour and flatten them before they even go into the frying pan.
I think you will just love these vegan falafels, they’re:
- Crispy
- Perfectly browned
- Flavorful
- Filling
- Served with a garlic tahini sauce
They are absolutely delicious served as is, or with pita breads, salad and pickled cucumber.
So let us know what you think of this easy vegan falafel recipe! If you make it, rate the recipe and let us know how it turns out! Tag any pics #lovingitvegan on instagram so we don’t miss them!
And if you like this recipe, then I’m certain you’ll also like our vegan chickpea burger! So check it out.
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- For the Falafel:
- 1 15oz (425g) Can Chickpeas
- ½ Onion
- 3 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
- ⅓ cup Cilantro (finely chopped)
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Dried Chili Flakes
- ¼ tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 6-8 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil (for frying)
- For the Garlic Tahini Sauce:
- ¼ cup Tahini
- ½ Lemon (Juiced)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
- 1 tsp Maple Syrup
- 2 Tbsp Water
- For Serving:
- Pita Breads
- Salad
- Pickles
- Chopped Cilantro
- Drain the chickpeas, peel and chop the onion and crush the garlic and add to a food processor.
- Finely chop the cilantro and add to the food processor with the sesame seeds, salt, pepper, dried chili flakes, coriander powder and cumin.
- Add in 6 Tbsp Flour and process. If the mixture is still very wet, add in 2 more Tbsp Flour.
- Generously sprinkle flour onto a baking sheet and scoop out a generous spoonful of falafel mix onto the floured baking sheet. Roll the ball in the flour, adding more as necessary to stop it sticking so that you can roll it in your hands. The mix will still be quite wet and the balls won't be very firm. Don't worry they will firm up in the freezer.
- Roll all the mix into balls adding flour to the baking sheet generously as needed. Place the baking sheet into the freezer for 20 minutes so that the balls can firm up.
- After 20 minutes, either dip the bottom of a glass in some flour and press down on the balls to flatten or flatten them with a spatula once frying.
- Add 2 Tbsp Olive Oil to a frying pan and once sizzling add in half the falafels, provided they will easily fit in your pan.
- Fry the falafels turning regularly until crispy and nicely browned on each side. Turn out onto a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat for the second batch.
- When your falafels are cooked, throw your sauce ingredients into a bowl and whisk with a hand whisk until smooth.
- Serve with pita breads, salad, pickles and chopped cilantro.
*Prep time does not include time spent setting in the freezer.
*Nutritional information is for 1 falafel without sauce.
Delicious falafels! One of my favourite foods!