This crispy Fried Falafel Sandwich is quicker to make than the traditional falafel recipe! Thanks to my secret drying method, you will have that crumbly texture in a fraction of the time! Topped with homemade Garlic Lemon Cream Sauce makes for an even flavorful sandwich!
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Fried falafel is a natural plant-based dish, and with some little tweaks, it’s easily made vegan. With my secret drying method, you can get a very similar taste of fried falafel without having to grind dried chickpeas!
Let me show you how it’s done, but first, you might be wondering….
…WHAT IS FALAFEL?
Falafel (say that five times fast I dare you lol), is popular street food in the Middle East. It’s widely believed to be a dish invented in Egypt about 1,000 years ago.
Falafel is deep-fried balls traditionally made from ground dried chickpeas. It’s seasoned with traditional Middle Eastern spices like cumin and coriander.
CAN VS DRIED CHICKPEAS (GARBANZO BEANS)
Traditionally this dish is made with unboiled, soaked dried chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) and then ground with a coffee grinder until it forms a crumbly mixture.
To make this fried falafel recipe quicker, I used canned chickpeas. Canned beans, in general, are something most of us have in our cabinet, and it is super convenient.
So how will you get the same texture using canned beans? My secret method is to bake the chickpeas in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350 F to dry them out. That helps tremendously with the consistency.
IS A FRIED FALAFEL SANDWICH HEALTHY?
I would never suggest that fried food is healthy, BUT it’s a healthier option than other fried foods. Chickpeas are a great source of fiber, plant-based protein, as well as complex carbohydrates.
To make this healthier, you can always try air frying it. I have not tested this method with this recipe, but I have air-fried Crispy Cauliflower Steaks and it was crispy and delicious!
You can also bake your falafels. I did this in the original version of this recipe, and it’s delicious tho it won’t be as crispy.
Also, it can be made healthy, depending on how you serve it. For this fried falafel sandwich, I topped it with my Garlic Lemon Sauce which is made with a based of healthy creamy cashews!
HOW TO MAKE FRIED FALAFEL SANDWICH
1. Bake the Canned Chickpeas
- Bake canned chickpeas at 375 degrees F for 15 – 20 minutes. This process helps dry the chickpeas a little to avoid super soggy falafel.
- Place onion, garlic, parsley, and cilantro in the food processor and process until the onion is finely chopped.
- Add chickpeas and process until the chickpeas are small grains.
- Add the seasonings and process.
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2. Form the Patties & Pan Fry
- Use a ½ cup measuring cup to form patties. You can oil the measuring cup to help with sticking.
- Pan-fry both sides until brown.
- This is what the inside should look like.
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3. Make the Sauce
- Blend cashews, onion garlic, lemon juice, water, and salt until smooth.
- Add cilantro and green onion. Pulse for a few seconds until specs of green are throughout the sauce.
- This is what the sauce should look like.
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Assemble the cooked falafel patties on buns with sauce and desired toppings and serve!
HEALTH BENEFITS:
As mentioned above, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are complex carbohydrates meaning that your body slowly digests these carbs over time preventing highs and lows from energy spikes you get with simple sugars.
Chickpeas are also a great source of plant-based protein. One cup of chickpeas contains about 15 grams per protein PLUS you get the added benefit of fiber!
***NOTE: This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner. All information contained in this blog is the opinion of Monique and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.
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Fried Falafel Sandwich with Garlic-Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups garbanzo beans or chickpeas
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup parsley
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, more if necessary
- burger buns
- lettuce
- 2 tomatoes , sliced
- 1 onion , sliced
Garlic Lemon Sauce
- 1 cup cashews
- ¼ cup red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1 sprig green onion
- 1/4 cup cilantro
Instructions
Falafel
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Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
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To make the patties, place the canned chickpeas on a baking sheet and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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Place the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, baking powder, and seasonings in a food processor of process until everything is chopped small.
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Add the chickpeas and process until the chickpeas are finely chopped.
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Add the chickpea flour and pulse a few times until it is thoroughly mixed
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Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to make the patties. Place a pan on medium heat. One hot, pan fry the patties until they are golden brown on each side (about 3-5 minutes per side).
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Assemble the sandwiches with the falafel patties, toppings, and lemon garlic sauce.
Lemon Garlic Sauce
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Blend the first 6 ingredients until smooth.
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Add the green onion and cilantro and pulse until specs of green are throughout the sauce.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
If you use dried chickpeas, then skip the oven drying step.
Such a lovely recipe.. I like the presentation of your food too! Looks tempting and yummy!
Thanks
Wow all these recipes look extremely delicious. Can’t wait to try making them myself 🙂
Thank you!
I should show this my mum as she type 2 diabetic and she *trying* to be vegan – she not quite got the hang of it. So I always on the look out for new vegan recipe. Thank you for this 🙂 xx
Awesome! I hope she can try some of the recipes. Thank you! 🙂
Just curious, does the Pink Himalayan Salt taste any different from the typical salt that’s sold in the market? It’s fascinating that it’s colored pink. I also wonder how it became pink.
I’m sure it tastes different than iodized salt, but to me it tastes the same as the Sea Salt and Kosher Salt I used to use. I love that it is naturally pink too! 🙂
I totally agree with you. I think it’s all about balance in life in everything we do (Including salt). And the recipes look great. Definitely going to try them out!
Thank you!
Chickpeas patty is pretty interesting. Infact the Indian Subway restaurant chain has something like this. It has so many veg options infact…. Oh damn, I’m missing it!!
lol! I brought back some memories, huh?! I wish the Subway here had that option. 🙂
Until now, I still haven’t taken my culinary assessment yet, and I still have no idea what to cook. We have to cook 11 dishes in like 4 hours. Imagine that! Your blog really helps me decide on what I should make. I still have no idea what to make for the salads.
You’re in culinary school?! Cool!! I remember having to cook a bunch of dishes for my final semester. It was fun, but a little nerve-wrecking. Good luck! Glad I could be a little help for you. 🙂
Personally I loved vegetables but I am not a Vegan all the way. Yes, rock salt is better than iodized one. Well, everyone’s preferences differs but healthy eating is a must for all.
Well that’s great because this lifestyle is not 100% vegan. Thanks for visiting!!
The falafel is GORGEOUS! I wish we had these in ingredients in Manila! :O
Thank you so much!!
You have some really interesting recipes. I have wanted to try new healthier recipes for my family and I can try some of yours!
Thank you!!
I cannot imagine the combination of spices with avocado. I usually take my avocado with milk, and is it. Chick pea falafel also very interesting. Does it taste like hummus?
Oooh, avocado and milk sounds so interesting! No, it does not taste like hummus!! Falafel has more seasoning and spices in it than hummus. 🙂
i totally agree, sodium is essential, we just need to cut back on it because we consume a lot of salty food already. I love salty food, but when I have too much sodium I bloat.
Ugghh, salt makes me bloat too! It sucks, but I’ll never completely cut out salt because I love me some salty food too! lol
Great recipe for health junkies. Not for me though.
lol! what a ridiculous comment to leave on a HEALTH FOOD BLOG!
These are all lovely recipes. You never fail to make appetizing food and that smoothie is a nice change from all the berries. I think you can’t cut sodium completely, but you can’t have too much of it either. It’s good to have a balance.
Thank you, I agree! It’s good to have balance.
I think salt can go well with smoothies. Even milk teas now come with rock salt variety. It’s also needed in right amount by our system.
Oh I didn’t know that about milk teas and rock salt! Thanks for sharing 🙂
These sound awesome- I wish they were my lunch today!
lol, thank you!
I didn’t know one cup of raw celery contains about 96 milligrams of sodium! But I do know Pink Himalayan salt is pretty good and appropriate amount of sodium is good for health.
Yes, that was interesting for me to learn as well!
I’ve tasted a mango smoothie with salt in it, it made the taste a bit more interesting. After reading so much about food scares and all, I’ve come to the conclusion that “anything excessive is bad” still holds true 😉
You know, I’ve not tasted a falafel yet, I’m thinking of trying your recipe one of these days. I wonder if I’ll like it.
I agree. Too much of anything isn’t always a good thing! I think you’ll like the recipe! Hope you give it a try. Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for the healthy eating tips and all these delicious and healthy recipes. I think this weekend I am going to try the Clam Soup with Baby Scallops, Garlic, and Thyme.
Thank you! I hope you like it. 🙂
Tomato-Avocado is an interesting combo! Just wondering whether the sourness of tomato takes over creaminess of avocado…Falafel recipe is superb.
It doesn’t in my opinion. I think the avocado really helps smooth out all the flavors. Thank you! 🙂
I’m not sold on this tomato-avocado smoothie. It seems like it would almost be drinking cold soup or something. However, I am 100% here for that clam soup! Looks yummy!
You’re right! There isn’t much difference between savory smoothies and cold soups honestly. I like cold soups sometimes though. Either way, it’s tasty! 🙂
Yumm.. This recipe looks delicious and I would love to try this recipe today!!
Thanks
I totally agree! Its all about balance and figuring out what is right for YOUR body! I’ve been looking for some new recipes to try, this is a must!!!
I’m glad you agree! Thank you!
I tasted a cake using the Himalayan salt and its very yummy! I love the taste so much, that is why I keep coming back to this CAKE HOUSE.
You had me at lemon garlic cream. I do love to add a lot of garlic to dishes! It is so good, isn’t it? I love the idea of this sandwich and will definitely give it a try!
Thank you!! I add garlic to practically everything!
She types 2 diabetes and wants to be vegan. So I am always looking for new vegan recipes. Thanks for this for xx
Sorry for the late reply! My pleasure 🙂