A healthy and highly nutritious flavorful Vegan Quinoa Falafel Bowl, perfect as a picnic or for dinner on the balcony or terrace.
Course Main Course
Cuisine International
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 4
Calories 644kcal
Ingredients
2cupschickpeas(soaked for 12-24 hours)
1/2largeonion
1hand fullfresh parsley leaves
2hand fullfresh cilantro leaves
1tspSalt
2clovesgarlic
1tspcumin
1tspbaking powder
4-6tablespoonsflour
2cupscooked chickpeas
3/4cupchickpea brine
1/4cupolive oil
1Tbsptahini
1clovegarlic
1tspSalt
1.5cupsquinoa
1.75cupswater
1cupfresh cilantro leaves
1/2cupwater
1tspSalt
1English cucumber
3roma tomatoes
Instructions
The night before soak about 4 cups of dried chickpeas in abundant water.
Drain, rinse and drain chickpeas again.
Add 2 cups of soaked chickpeas into food processor.
Add the rest of the chickpeas to a large pot, cover with water up to about 1/2" over the top, bring to the boil and once boiling reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
In the meantime, peel and roughly chop onion. Add to food processor.
Wash, dry, and finely chop coriander and parsley (only leaves, no stalks). Add to food processor.
Peel and crush garlic. Add to food processor.
Add 1 tsp salt, cumin and baking powder to processor and pulse many many times until everything is well combined but not smooth and rather coarse. About sesame seed size pieces.
Add flour and work in by hand adding as little as possible to be able to form balls without the dough sticking too much to your hands.
Form golf ball sized balls and place on a parchment paper lined flat plate with enough space in between them.
Put plate with raw falafel balls into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Add 1 cup coriander leaves (no stalks) to a blender and add 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth and no big chunks of herb are visible anymore.
Add quinoa, 1.75 cups water, coriander water and 1 tsp salt to a pot. Bring to the boil and once boiling reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer until all water is absorbed (approx. 15 minutes).
Heat about 2 cups of vegetable oil with a high smoke point (such as avocado oil) in a pan over medium low heat. This will take at least 15 minutes.
Wash and chop tomatoes and cucumber. Set aside.
Once the oil is hot (about 375 F / 190 C), take out falafel from the freezer, carefully add 6-8 falafel balls at a time to the oil and fry from all sides until golden brown. Place fried balls onto a paper towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil.
Once falafel is fried the chickpeas should be ready, too.
Add 2 cups cooked chickpeas, 3/4 cup brine, 1/4 cup olive oil, tahini, 1 tsp salt to blender and blend until smooth.