These homemade green vegan easy falafels are the perfect filling for a simple but delicious falafel wrap!
In amongst all the smoothie bowls and baked goods, it sometimes becomes a bit lost that I actually have a heritage rich in traditional foods. I can’t wait to share this Lebanese childhood favorite recipe of mine! (Side note – for another Lebanese-inspired recipe check out my Fattoush salad in a jar Recipe!)
Although falafels are becoming more and more popular in the west, it might interest you to know (if you don’t already) that falafels actually originate in the Middle Eastern region.
Depending on where exactly you get them they are made slightly different with some differing ingredients – although most are made up of a base of chickpeas, broad beans (otherwise called fava beans), and a mix of onions, herbs, and spices.
For these particular homemade easy falafel, I have even used the traditional cooking method:
Frying in oil!
So, whilst this isn’t the healthiest option (don’t worry I will be writing up a healthier version soon!), if you cook them right, then the oil will crisp the outside and the falafel will not absorb any excess oil!
Within this recipe, I’ve really decided to go all out and re-create an absolute favorite meal from my childhood in a delicious vegan traditional falafel wrap with chopped salad and a homemade tahini dressing.
This is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat falafels and hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do.
However, if you’re not in the mood for a wrap then here are some other options.
Ways to Eat Falafels
- A pitta sandwich (the “usual”)
- Falafel burgers
- As a taco filling
- Within a salad bowl or buddha bowl (perfect for meal-prep!)
- A mezze platter with hummus, olives, salad, dips/sauces and some “bread”.
- Falafel tabbouleh
And there are so many many more ideas. So, please let me know in the comments below, what are your favorite ways to eat falafels?
If you’ve never made homemade falafels before then you may be fooled into thinking that they are actually quite hard to make, especially as getting the perfect texture is key.
You want a lovely moist interior with a delicious, crisp outer layer. However, it is actually super simple to create this recipe!
A Few Tips for Perfectly Cooked Falafels
- For this recipe, I’ve mentioned used dried chickpeas and broad beans and soaking them overnight – don’t be tricked into trying to use pre-soaked, tinned beans. Using them would result in the wrong texture and difficulty with cooking.
- FRY them! Okay, I know this isn’t the healthiest method and it’s all about “baking” falafel these days but you HAVE to try frying them at-least once for a perfectly crisp exterior but a lovely soft, moist interior.
Plus it’s not as daunting as it seems. Simply heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pan until it is bubbling softly, using a special scoop or a spoon/fork gently lower them into the oil and fry on each side for around 3-4 minutes, till golden brown in colour. - To test if the oil is hot enough then simply drop a tiny bit of the falafel mix into the pot. It should start to sizzle immediately and colour within a minute!
- Only cook 5-6 at a go! If you over-fill the pan then it will affect the cooking times and can possibly end up in falafels that are too oily.
- It’s also worth noting – these are best made fresh to retain optimal crispiness so don’t leave them sitting out for too long!
So, without further ado – here’s the recipe!
What’s Needed
For the falafels:
- Split broad beans and chickpeas
- Fresh parsley and coriander
- Onion and garlic
- Salt and Falafel spice, which consists of cumin, black pepper, ground coriander, cayenne pepper (optional)
- Baking powder and sunflower oil for frying.
For the falafel wrap:
- Pita bread
- Ready falafels
- Pink pickles
- Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onion
- Tahini dressing.
For the Tahini dressing:
The Steps
Wash the beans and chickpeas and then leave them to soak in cold water overnight. You can keep them soaking for up to 24 hours.
As written above, this will give you optimal texture so DON’T be tempted to swap these with pre-soaked, canned beans/chickpeas!
Drain and rinse well the soaked chickpeas and beans when you are ready to proceed with the falafel recipe.
Blend all the falafel base ingredients in a food processor/blender until you obtain a smooth uniform mixture. They should have a beautiful green color.
It’s worth noting – you can prepare the mixture in advance and store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days!
When you are ready to fry the falafels, add 1 tablespoon baking powder to the mix and incorporate well in a large bowl.
The baking powder should only be added at the last moment before frying. This adds an “airiness” to the mix that is needed for the perfect texture.
Heat up a few inches of sunflower oil in a saucepan over medium high heat until it bubbles softly. Using a falafel scoop or a spoon/fork, form the falafel balls/patties and carefully dip them in the hot oil to deep fry them.
After 3-4 minutes, carefully turn them over. The falafels are ready when they become golden-brown in colour. Lay on a piece of paper towel to drain off any excess cooking oil, although there shouldn’t be much!
To prepare the tahini sauce, mix all the dip ingredients together well and set aside.
Prepare the rest of the wrap ingredients by chopping the veggies.
I like to create a variety of textures so I love to grate/julienne my cucumber, roughly chop lettuce and thinly slice the various other bits.
To create the wrap, open a traditional pita bread, lay the veggies and a few falafel balls on it, then add some tahini dressing. You can also drizzle a little extra lemon juice.
Roll the bread. Enjoy your falafel wrap (sandwich)! Definitely one of the most delicious ways to eat falafels!
Other Middle Eastern Recipe
- Lebanese Chicken Shawarma (Wraps/Platter/Plate)
- Easy Falafel Spice Mix (Middle-Eastern Spice Blend)
- Simple Lebanese Pita Salad (Fattoush)
- Traditional Tabbouleh Salad (Tabouli Salad)
- Simple Smoky Eggplant Dip (Moutabal)
- Simple Stuffed Makdous Recipe (cured eggplant)
- Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Malfouf | Vegan Optional)
- Lebanese Hindbeh (Sauteed Dandelion Greens/Spinach) and Caramelized Onions
- Middle Eastern Chicken Shish Tawook Recipe (Chicken Shish Kabobs)
- Lebanese Molokhia with Chicken
- Lebanese Lamb Kofta Recipe (Kafta/Kofta Kebabs)
- How To Make Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)
- Simple Creamy Homemade Hummus Recipe (+ FAQs)
- Simple Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
If you try this homemade easy falafel recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Homemade Easy Falafel Wrap
Ingredients
For the falafels:
- 2 cups split broad beans
- 1 cup chickpeas
- parsley
- coriander
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1.5 tablespoon falafel spice 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder used only before frying
- sunflower oil for frying enough to fill up your saucepan
For the wrap:
- pita bread
- ready falafels
- pink pickles recipe on my Instagram Highlights
- tomatoes
- cucumbers
- tahini dressing
- onion
Tahini dressing for the wrap:
- 1 cup yogurt natural or plant-based
- 1/2 cup tahini
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin powder
- a pinch of salt
- filtered water in case the dressing is too thick
Suggested Equipment
Instructions
- Wash the beans and chickpeas and then leave them to soak in cold water overnight.* Drain and rinse well, when ready to proceed with the falafel recipe.
- Blend all the falafel base ingredients in a food processor/blender until you obtain a smooth uniform mixture. They should have a beautiful green color.**
- When you are ready to fry the falafels, add 1 tablespoon baking powder to the mix. The baking powder should only be added at the last moment before frying. This adds an "airiness" to the mix that is needed for the perfect texture.
- Heat up a few inches of sunflower oil in a saucepan until it bubbles softly. Using a falafel scoop or a spoon/fork, form the falafels patties and carefully dip them in the hot oil. After 3-4 minutes, carefully turn them over. The falafels are ready when they become golden-brown in color. Lay on a piece of paper towel to drain off any excess cooking oil, although there shouldn't be much!
- To prepare the tahini dressing, mix all the dip ingredients together well and set aside.
- Prepare the rest of the wrap ingredients by chopping the veggies. I like to create a variety of textures so I love to grate/julienne my cucumber, roughly chop lettuce and thinly slice the various other bits.
- To create the wrap, open a traditional pita bread, lay the veggies and falafel on it, then add some tahini dressing. Roll the bread. Enjoy your falafel wrap (sandwich)! Definitely one of the most delicious ways to eat falafels!
chaNL
thanks so much Samira, i never used a mix of fava and chick pea before but i will try your well explained recipe soon . Love all your ideas
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you for your comment. I hope you like it with the fava beans. Let me know how it goes 🙂
John K.
This is a little different from the recipe in your cookbook. I like the addition of using fava beans along with the chickpeas. Both recipes are outstanding, I like having an option to slightly change things up every now and then. Thank you for sharing.
P.S. The cookbook is a great addition to my kitchen library, highly recommended.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Awww, thank you so much, John! So happy you liked the recipe and the cookbook! <3
Christine
I love hommus so used tahini & hommus yummy so tasty
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thanks for your comment, Christine. Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Christine
Fantastic falafels everyone enjoyed them immensely. Thank you ❤️
Caroline
I have already made the falafel fried, baked, it doesn’t matter, it is ALWAYS awesome! Thanks, Samira, for the best recipe!! The tahini dressing is a must have, as well.
Samira @ Alphafoodie
Thank you so much for your comment, Caroline!
Megan
I’m usually someone that tries to avoid fried foods, but listen to Samira on this one — fried is so much better for falafel, and it really doesn’t absorb too much of the oil if fried correctly. I once over-crowded the oil and that didn’t turn out well, so make sure to do them in appropriate batches if making a lot.
Samira @ Alphafoodie
Thank you so much for your comment, Megan 🙂
IB
Samira, thank you so much for this falafel recipe! It’s so delicious and addictive! And your step by step directions are great and easy to follow! Thanks for all the work you put into your recipes, I’ve made quite a few of them and they all turned out amazing!
Samira @ Alphafoodie
Thank you so much for your feedback. I am so happy you’ve tried this recipe! 🙂
Nancy
Hi I watched the video of the falafel recipe, it is nicely done but there is a very important ingredient that was missing and that gives a much tastier result.
The Sesame paste sauce:
You mix sesame paste with lemon juice, salt and water if needed for the consistency. Hope you will try this version
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you for your suggestion, Nancy. I will give it a try. 🙂
Ben
Hi Alpha Foodie!
I love your blog and all of your incredible ideas 🙂
I hope to be half as cool as you one day!
Also, this falafel wrap looks so delicious and filling. I need to try making my own falafel sometime soon.
All my best – Plant Based Food Guru 😉
Samira @ Alphafoodie
Thank you so much for your comment, Ben! So sweet of you 🙂