These Quinoa Falafel Patties are gluten free, vegan and packed with protein!
Back when we lived in Budapest one of our favourite eateries was Hummus Bar a Middle Eastern ‘fast food’ chain. If you’re a regular reader of Natural Fit Foodie then you know that my husband and I take great delight in eating out and trying different cuisines.
Luckily, my daughter is just like us and has an extremely adventurous palate. I have breast milk to thank for that. Recent research shows that early breast-milk experiences help infants develop their own personal taste preferences, as well as increase their enjoyment of particular flavors. Researchers believe that the types and intensity of flavors experienced in breast milk may be unique for each infant and serve to identify the culture to which the child is born.
Well I can truly say my daughter experienced a whole lotta cultures through breastfeeding.. 🙂
Since moving to Spain our choice for international cuisine has been somewhat limited. I have been producing more and more foods in my home kitchen that I once only consumed in a restaurant. Like these quinoa falafel patties.
Quinoa Falafel Patties
I was in the mood for falafel one day so I got cracking. After a quick google search and realizing that falafel was just basically chickpeas and spices I knew I had to put my spin on it. Enter quinoa. Quinoa is a truly versatile pseudocereal . Like buckwheat 
Fun Fact – The UN named 2013 ‘International Quinoa Year’ in recognition of the crop’s high nutrient content.
These Quinoa Falafel patties really hit the spot. My family has enjoyed them with hummus, avocado and pita bread. Give them a try, they’re perfect for Meatless Monday or any day really.. 😉
Please share this post to give your family and friends a chance to try out the recipe too.
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Quinoa Falafel Patties
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 flax or chia eggs 2 tablespoons ground flax/ chia seeds with 6 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup quinoa flour
- 1 teaspoon baharat spice optional
- salt paprika, black pepper to taste
- coconut oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 200ºC
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make flax/chia eggs by combining 2 tablespoons ground flax/chia seeds with 6 tablespoons water. Set aside to thicken.
- Process chickpeas in a food processor until broken down but not mushy.
- Add all remaining ingredients along with flax eggs and pulse until combined.
- Place mixture in a large bowl and add flour. Mix well.
- Shape mixture into ¼ cup patties with wet hands. Pack tightly so they hold together better. Place on baking sheet.
- Fry each patty in coconut oil about 3-5 minutes on each side then transfer to oven to cook for 10 minutes.
- Serve with greek yogurt tahini dip, hummus and avocado.
This looks so yummy!
Gonna try to get mum to make it, lol 🙂
Good luck! Hope you’ll like it. 🙂
Hi Krystal,
When we were in Israel we developed a taste for falafel. Your recipe looks great! I am impressed with your creativity and like the inclusion of quinoa. Thank-you for sharing!
Hi Krystal,
These quinoa patties sound delicious and so healthy. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.
Thanks so much Marla. Always happy to link up.. 🙂
Hi, these sound great. Can you tell me please are the chickpeas tinned or just dried ones soaked?
Hi Angela the measurement for the chickpeas (1 cup) is the actual amount used in the recipe. So if you use tinned then you need 1 cup drained. If you soak dried chickpeas then it should measure 1 cup post soak. Hope that helps.
Hi Krystal,
Just a note to let you know that I have chosen your post as one of my features for this weeks Real Food Fridays blog hop that goes live every Thursday @ 7 pm EST. Thanks for being part of Real Food Fridays and helping us to make this world a little bit healthier.
That’s awesome! Thank you so much Marla. Always a pleasure linking up!!
I love quinoa and these patties look perfect! Pinning to try them!
Thanks Mira! Hope you like them.:)
Found you on Real Food Fridays; these look delicious! Can’t wait to try them!
Thanks Lee, hope you like them!
We’ve had some falafel recently, and now I want more! Adding quinoa (and chia) sound like great ideas! I bet the chia helps it hold together so much better. I always have trouble getting the falafel to stick together when frying. I hope you can stop on by and share this or any other recipe with us on Five Friday Finds!
Wow! These look so great! What a great use of quinoa! Can’t wait to try this!
I have to say that these couldn’t be more perfectly formed! WOW! Awesome recipe and photo!
Thank you Jennifer.. 🙂
I can’t believe how well this stick together, especially being vegan! Nicely done! 😀
I’m licking my lips right now! Looks so good! Pinned and tweeted. We truly appreciate you taking the time to be a part of our party. Please stop by and party with us again. The party starts Monday at 7 pm and ends on Friday at 7 pm. Happy Sunday! Lou Lou Girls
Do you put these in oven or fry them in oil?
I’ve baked them in the oven or pan fried them (not deep fry) on the stovetop. Both methods work well.