Crumbled Falafel Bowls
Total Time
40 mins
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(1)
Ingredients
4 to 6
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in water for 12 to 24 hours
- Half of a large white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon (we’ll use the juice for the veggies below)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- Half of an English cucumber, diced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- Pinch of fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 4 cups cooked rice
- Tahini sauce for drizzling
- Toppings: feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, lemon wedges, extra fresh parsley or cilantro
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Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the rice and tahini sauce. Cook the rice according to package instructions and prepare the tahini sauce.
Step 2
Prepare the sumac veggies. Toss all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 3
Blend the falafel mix. Drain and thoroughly dry the chickpeas. Add the chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, cumin, salt, coriander, garlic and lemon zest to a food processor. Pulse briefly 5-10 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Don’t overdo it or the mixture will turn into a paste.)
Step 4
Sauté the falafel mix. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the falafel mix in an even layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the bottom of the mix reaches a golden brown color. Then give the mix a good stir, spread it out evenly in the pan, and cook again until the bottom of the mix reaches a golden brown color. Repeat this process 3 or 4 more times until the mix is toasted to your liking.
Step 5
Serve. Layer up serving bowls with rice, falafel mix, sumac veggies, and any other toppings you would like. Drizzle with tahini sauce, add a few twists of black pepper or a sprinkle of sumac, serve and enjoy!
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Chickpeas:
To soak the chickpeas, place them in a large mixing bowl with water, making sure the water covers the chickpeas by at least 2 to 3 inches. Soak for 12-24 hours. If you don’t have time to soak dried chickpeas, you can use 2 (15-ounce) cans of rinsed, drained and thoroughly dried chickpeas instead. The texture will be different, as canned chickpeas hold much more moisture, but they will still be delicious in this recipe.
Be sure to thoroughly dry the chickpeas. Whether you are using soaked dried chickpeas or canned chickpeas, it’s important to thoroughly dry them with a clean tea towel (or paper towels) before adding them to the recipe in order to eliminate excess moisture.
Don’t over-purée the falafel mix. A coarse crumbly texture is ideal for this recipe. If you over-purée it in the food processor, it can quickly turn to mush and won’t crisp up as easily while cooking.
Use a nonstick sauté pan. The falafel mix can tend to stick to a pan, so if possible, it’s best to use a nonstick pan.
Don’t over-stir. Let the falafel mix sauté undisturbed in the oil for a minute or two until the bottom layer caramelizes a bit.
Enjoy immediately. While the crumbled falafel will still taste great as leftovers, it will definitely lose some of its crispy texture the longer it sits.
