Carbs: 49%/68 grams.
Fat: 35%/22 grams.
Protein: 16%/22 gram
Total time to make: 30 mins
Servings: 2 people
Falafel lovers. Picture the most delectable falafel wrap. Dripping in tzatziki sauce, tahini sauce, or houmous and nestled in between a fresh salad, all held together by slices of warm pita bread. Is this image making you feel hungry yet? Well, times that image by 1000 and you have (what we consider to be) the best and most delicious falafel wrap recipe of all.
But before we let you in on our secret, let’s go back to basics. You can’t expect to indulge in a recipe that isn’t completely homegrown, can you? Which is why before we get to the assembling part, we’re going to talk you through our incredible homemade falafel, and how you can make it yourself.
Homemade Falafel Recipe
A popular Middle Eastern fast food, falafel mixture consists of chickpeas, fresh herbs, and spices all being formed into small balls or patties. It’s a typical vegan dish that’s become a staple part of Western veganism, and for that, we can’t thank Middle Eastern cooking enough.
How Much Protein is in this Meal?
The standard falafel wrap (with houmous or tahini sauce) has about 12 grams of protein. Falafel itself is high in fiber and protein, and one cup of chickpeas has 15 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber.
In terms of MACROS, a generic vegan falafel wrap is as follows (which mirrors the recipe below):
Carbs: 49%/68 grams.
Fat: 35%/22 grams.
Protein: 16%/22 grams.
So, how do you make it?
Falafel Ingredients
- Dried chickpeas: Avoid using canned chickpeas – it’s not authentic and will cause the falafel patties or balls to disintegrate in the hot oil. Ideally, 24-hour soaked chickpeas will give them the best taste and consistency. To help soften the dried chickpeas, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the water.
- Herbs: For an authentic falafel mix, use fresh dill, fresh parsley, and cilantro.
- Onions: A yellow onion is preferred, but a white or red onion can also work.
- Garlic
- Salt and black pepper
- Spices: Ground coriander, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Baking powder: This is what gives the falafel a fluffy texture.
- Sesame seeds: This is optional, but it gives a little nuttiness to the final result.
Method
Prep time: 24 hours.
Cooking time: 3-5 minutes fried, 15 to 20 minutes baked.
- Soak dried chickpeas for 24 hours. Make sure you cover them in loads of cold water and add baking soda to help them soften. This will help them to double in size.
- Make the falafel mix. Add the chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic, black pepper, salt, and spices to a food processor. Whiz until the mix is finely ground.
- Refrigerate. Put the mix in a large bowl, cover it and refrigerate. Ideally, leaving overnight is best but one hour is OK. (The more chilled the mixture, the easier it will be to form the patties.)
- Form the falafel balls or patties. Now you’ve got the ground chickpeas at a nice chilled temperature, stir in the baking powder (and optional toasted sesame seeds). For falafel balls, you’ll want to grab a golf ball-sized amount and mold them. For falafel patties, make sure you don’t flatten them too much. You want them to be about an inch in depth for them to be nice and fluffy when cooked.
- Deep fry. If you want your falafels to be cooked the Middle Eastern way, you’ll want to get your frying pan out. While you can opt for a healthier version, (i.e way less oil) if you want the best result and the most authentic taste, we’d suggest this recipe. Pour some oil into a pan. Wait until the oil is hot to medium heat and it starts bubbling. Then, drop the falafels into the oil and deep fry for 3 to 5 minutes until they are golden brown on the outside. Once you’ve got your crispy falafel, place them on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
- Baked version. For the less saturated fat version for those conscious of nutrition, calories, and oil use, try baking falafels instead. Simply preheat your oven to 350℉ and lightly drizzle some vegetable oil onto a baking sheet. Brush the falafel balls or patties with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil and bake for between 15 and 20 minutes. Halfway through the baking process, turn the falafels over.
Making Falafel Wraps
Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 5 to 10 minutes.
For the meal prep, you’ll also need:
- Pita bread or large tortilla wraps. (Completely your preference. Both can be bought gluten free if needed.)
- Baked or deep fried falafel. (Again, completely up to you.)
- Fresh veggies/salad. (Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, pickled red cabbage.)
- Feta cheese. (Optional.)
- Tahini sauce, tzatziki sauce, houmous. (Whichever you prefer in your falafel wrap.)
- Lemon juice. (Optional.)
To Build the Falafel Wrap
- Start by warming your pita bread or tortilla wraps. You can do this in the microwave or in a large pan on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Then, spread a generous amount of your tahini dressing, tzatziki sauce, or houmous onto your bread of choice.
- Roughly chop the cucumber, onion, pickled red cabbage, and lettuce and add to a salad bowl. Grab as much salad as you want and layer it over the spread.
- Place 3 to 4 falafel balls or patties (depending on how hungry you are) onto to bed of salad.
- If you want some extra flavors, combine the tzatziki sauce, houmous, or tahini dressing and drizzle generously over the top of the nearly-assembled falafel wrap. You can even squeeze some lemon juice over your stuffed tortilla.
- Now comes the hardest part – the wrapping. If your falafel wrap is pretty packed, it might be a bit trickier to wrap it all up, but it will taste incredible regardless. We’re not going to school you on how to do this, everyone has their own ways. Basically, just make sure you’ve got the majority of your filling inside the wrap and you’ll be fine!
Delicious Recipes Made Easy
If you love falafel and this is one of your favorite recipes, you are welcome! Offering a traditional deep fried option, alongside a more nutritious version, we guarantee you’ll be eating falafel for days once you’ve tasted this wrap.
And once you’re all falafel-ed out (which we’re pretty sure is impossible), stay tuned for some more tasty recipes!