Crispy Falafel Grain Bowl (Printable Version)
Crispy pan-fried falafel over hearty grains with fresh vegetables and creamy tahini dressing for a wholesome vegetarian bowl.
# Ingredient List:
→ Falafel
01 - 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 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 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1/2 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
09 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or chickpea flour for gluten-free)
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
12 - 3 tbsp olive oil (for pan-frying)
→ Grains
13 - 1 cup quinoa or brown rice, uncooked
14 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
15 - 1/4 tsp 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 tbsp tahini
23 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
24 - 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
25 - 1 tbsp water
26 - 1 clove garlic, minced
27 - Salt and black pepper to taste
# How to Make:
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, 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 coarse and well-mixed but not a paste. Form mixture into small balls or patties (about 2 tablespoons each).
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add falafel balls and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until creamy. Add more water for a thinner consistency, if desired.
05 - Divide cooked grains among four bowls. Top each with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, red onion, and pickled vegetables if using. Arrange the falafel on top.
06 - Drizzle with tahini dressing and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The falafel gets legitimately crispy without deep frying, which feels like getting away with something.
- Everything components can be prepped ahead, so weeknight assembly takes almost no effort.
- The tahini dressing is good enough that you will want to put it on everything else you cook this week.
02 -
- If the falafel mixture feels too wet to hold its shape, pop it in the fridge for fifteen minutes and it will firm up beautifully.
- Do not crowd the pan when frying because the falafel needs space to crisp properly instead of steaming each other soft.
03 -
- Let the falafel rest for a minute after frying before you move them to the bowl because they firm up as they cool and hold their shape better.
- A squeeze of extra lemon juice right over the assembled bowl right before eating brightens every single flavor at once.