Falafel bowls are a fabulous week night meal where you can pack in tons of veggies and fiber. I'm a huge fan of Mediterranean cuisine and I've had my fair share of falafel bowls. What makes this one special is the lemon tahini drizzle on top and the homemade falafel. 🥙✨
You can definitely use store bought falafel mix if you'd like, but if you have a food processor (or good blender) then you should try making these out. They only require chickpeas, parsley, garlic, sesame seeds, shallots (or red onion), flour, and some spices.
These little flavor-packed falafels are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor. While this falafel recipe works best with an air frier, a regular oven will also do the trick. My recommendation for either one is to spray some avocado oil on top to ensure they are crispy on the outside and flipping in the air fryer ½ way through to ensure they're crispy on both sides.
Preparing your Falafel Bowl
One of the best things about a bowl type situation is that you can add whatever toppings you like (or have on hand in your fridge). I love dicing some bell pepper, carrots, and cucumbers and adding some lettuce. Other people might like tomatoes. It's a choose your own adventure situation.
If you want to elevate the rice, I'd recommend adding some golden raisins and pine nuts when it's finished cooking to add more depth of flavor and texture.
The best part of any bowl is the sauce. This Tahini Sauce is a zesty, creamy concoction of lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin, and a dash of ice water to achieve that perfect drizzling consistency.
If you're in the Mediterranean mood, I'd also recommend adding in some (super easy) hummus as another dip option to your bowl!
Falafel Bowls
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
Falafel
- 1 can of Chickpeas (15 oz)
- ⅓ cup of Fresh Parsley
- 2 Shallots
- 4 cloves of Garlic
- 2 tablespoon of Sesame Seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon of Cumin
- 1 teaspoon of Coriander (optional)
- 3 - 4 tablespoon of Flour (if GF, 1:1 GF flour)
Tahini Sauce
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 3 cloves of Garlic
- ½ cup of Tahini
- ½ teaspoon of Cumin
- 4 - 6 tablespoon of Ice Water (to thin)
Rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 tablespoon pine nuts optional
- 3 tablespoon golden raisins optional
Instructions
Falafel
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except for the flour. Allow everything to mix together.
- Add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the mixture isn't sticky.
- Cover and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours (to firm up).
- Scoop with a tablespoon and form into balls (I would recommend spraying a little avocado oil on your hand to make it easier).
- Place in the air fryer at 400F for 10 min then flip and cook for another 5-10. If using an oven, cook at 375F for 25 - 35 minutes instead.
Rice
- Pour your rice in a rice cooker or pot and follow the ratio on the pack of the packaging (typically 2 cups water 1 cup rice). Add your turmeric and cook until fluffy and ready. It should turn yellow!
- Once the rice is finished cooking, fold in the pine nuts and golden raisins (if using, highly recommend)
Tahini Sauce
- Mince the gloves of garlic and place in the lemon juice. Let it soak for 10 minutes (this reduces the intensity)
- Combine the rest of your ingredients, set aside
Finishing
- Serve your falafel mediterranean rice, veggies, and drizzle tahini sauce over it all and enjoy!
And voila! Your delicious homemade falafel is ready! I hope you enjoy!
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