A SERIOUSLY AMAZING LOW-CARB ALTERNATIVE TO THE REAL THING!
I love falafel, it is one of the foods that remind me of my childhood!
I grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, and one of my favorite childhood memories is walking home from school with my mom and sister. Fridays were extra special, we’d stop by our neighborhood falafel spot for a treat. The falafel was incredible: crunchy on the outside, soft and fragrant on the inside, tucked into warm pita, loaded with creamy tahini, hummus, and a handful of tangy pickled veggies. Just thinking about it makes me smile.
Fast forward to more recently, I had the chance to visit Israel, and let me just say… the falafel (and honestly, all the food) completely blew me away!
Needless to say, I love falafel. But making the traditional version at home? Not so much. Mostly because they’re usually deep-fried, and I find them a little heavy and harder to digest. When I’m out at a great restaurant or traveling, I’ll absolutely indulge, but at home, I lean into this lighter, oven-baked version that still hits all the right notes.
I’ve baked mine in the oven, but if you have an air fryer (I’m this close to getting one!), I have no doubt they’d turn out beautifully in that too. And one last thing, don’t skimp on the herbs! They make all the difference in bringing the flavor to life.
Below I have some of my favorites that I enjoy these with.
Give these a try with your falafel, I am sure you are gonna love them!
Cauliflower Falafel
A seriously amazing low-carb alternative to the real!
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup, finely chopped onion
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 3 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 eggs (replace with flax or chia eggs* for plant-based)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 Tbsp white sesame seeds
- 4 tsp coriander powder
- 4 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 medium head of cauliflower, minced (or about 2 packed cups riced cauliflower)
- About 2 Tbsp Olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 190C/380F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor blend together all the ingredients, except the cauliflower and olive oil (yes, even the eggs). Blend until all the herbs are well minced.
- Once the herbs are minced, add in the minced cauliflower or cauliflower rice and pulse until combined.
- Remove ingredients to a bowl and give everything a nice mix.
- Form the falafel dough into 1" to 1.5 inch round balls.
- Use a pastry brush and brush each falafel with olive oil or use a spray olive oil
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, then flip the falafels, brush with some more olive oil, or give another spray and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite salad, low-carb flatbread, and some homemade tahini dressing + my quick chili sauce.
NOTES:
At step 4 If the mixture seems too wet, add an extra tbsp of coconut flour.
If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried. Remember the ratio of fresh to dry is 3:1. So for the parsley, you would need 1/4 cup of dried parsley and for the coriander, you would need about 1.5 Tbsp.
To make a flax/chia egg, combine 1 tbsp of either with 2 tbsp of cold water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Use as a replacement for egg.
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