Crispy Falafel Grain Bowl (Printable)
Crispy falafel served over hearty grains with fresh vegetables and creamy tahini dressing for a wholesome meal.
# What You Need:
→ Falafel
01 - 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned, drained and rinsed)
02 - 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic
04 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley
05 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or chickpea flour for gluten-free)
10 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 3 tablespoons olive oil (for pan-frying)
→ Grains
13 - 1 cup quinoa or brown rice, uncooked
14 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
15 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Vegetables & Toppings
16 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
17 - 1 cucumber, diced
18 - 2 cups mixed greens (arugula, spinach, or lettuce)
19 - 1 medium carrot, shredded
20 - 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
21 - 1/4 cup pickled turnips or radishes (optional)
→ Tahini Dressing
22 - 3 tablespoons tahini
23 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
24 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
25 - 1 tablespoon water
26 - 1 clove garlic, minced
27 - Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
# Steps:
01 - Rinse quinoa or brown rice under cold water. In a saucepan, combine grains, water or broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender — 15 minutes for quinoa or about 35 minutes for brown rice. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
02 - In a food processor, combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, baking powder, flour, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is coarse and well combined but not a smooth paste. Form into small balls or patties, using about 2 tablespoons of mixture each.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the falafel and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. Add additional water as needed to reach your preferred consistency.
05 - Divide the cooked grains among four bowls. Top each with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrot, red onion, and pickled vegetables if using. Arrange the falafel on top.
06 - Drizzle the tahini dressing generously over each bowl and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The falafel gets incredibly crispy on the outside while staying tender and herby inside, and you do not need to deep fry a thing to get there.
- Everything cooks in under an hour, which makes this feel totally doable even on a weeknight when your energy is running low.
- The tahini dressing ties every single component together with a creamy, garlicky richness that you will want to put on everything.
02 -
- Do not overprocess the falafel mixture or it will turn into a paste that falls apart in the pan, so pulse in short bursts and check the texture frequently.
- If the falafel feels too wet to hold its shape, refrigerate the mixture for fifteen minutes before forming the patties, and the chill firms everything up beautifully.
03 -
- Let the falafel mixture rest in the fridge for at least twenty minutes before shaping, because the flour and chickpea starches need time to hydrate and bind everything together.
- A squeeze of lemon juice over the entire finished bowl right before eating wakes up every flavor and makes the tahini dressing taste even brighter.