COOK: Homemade Spicy Beet Falafel
- Serving Ideas for Beet Falafel
- Spicy Beet Falafel Recipe Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make Spicy Beet Falafel
- Storage & Meal Prep Ideas
- Spicy Beet Falafel
This crunchy, spicy homemade beet falafel recipe is packed with whole-food ingredients and simple to make. These are well-spiced with just a bit of a kick, and packed with protein and nutrients for a delicious plant-based dinner, lunch, or snack that won’t break the bank. It’s a frugal meal that tastes amazing!
Can’t take the heat? You can tone down the heat if you’re making this beet falafel recipe for kids or less daring palates by removing the seeds from the jalapeno, or even substituting a mild banana or bell pepper for the hot peppers. Either way, it’s a tasty, colorful, and vegetable-packed snack!
While this falafel recipe does take some advance planning (you need to soak the garbanzo beans/chickpeas overnight, and let the ground falafel mixture chill for at least an hour before frying), you can make them ahead (see below), or batch-cook them and reheat for easy meals and snacks throughout the week.
Serving Ideas for Beet Falafel
This beet falafel recipe makes hearty vegan sandwiches, wraps, and adds some variety and color to Leventine meze platters. Serve them simply with just a dip for a snack or light lunch, or pile on the sides and toppings to make these a filling vegetarian meal.
Try serving the crispy fried falafel on a bed of fresh greens and a mound of couscous or winter tabbouleh salad. Top with an assortment of hummus, baba ghanouj, slivered almonds, tahini dressing, and fresh or pickled peppers, olives, or marinated artichokes for a hearty grain bowl entree.
Spicy Beet Falafel Recipe Ingredients
dried chickpeas:
Unfortunately for the canned chickpea lovers out there, there’s no shortcut for using dried chickpeas for making fresh falafel. If you want your homemade falafel to stick together during frying, you have to start with dried chickpeas, ideally soaked overnight.
Some people do a quick soak (rinsing the dried beans, bringing them up to a simmer in a pot with plenty of water, then soaking for a few hours instead of 8-12) but I haven’t tested this method… this is one recipe where it’s best to plan ahead!
beets:
Shredded fresh raw beets add a vibrant bright color and rich earthy sweetness and depth of flavor to these falafel. They’re also rich in antioxidants and fiber.
herbs or greens:
I usually make these with fresh parsley, but you can also use a blend of fresh parsley and either dill, cilantro (green coriander), arugula, or baby greens (like tatsoi, chard, and other spicy baby greens).
Wash these well in cool water to remove any grit, then spin or pat dry before removing stems and chopping roughly.
hot pepper:
I use a large jalapeno, though you can substitute serrano for spicier falafel, or banana or bell pepper (in equal volume, about 2 tbsp chopped) for the hot peppers if you want mild falafel, or just increase the onion.
seasonings:
Chopped raw onion, fresh garlic cloves, ground cumin and coriander, salt, onion or garlic powder, and dried paprika.
oil:
For frying, a neutrally flavored, high smoke point oil like peanut, grapeseed, or canola.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
food processor:
You’ll need a food processor for this recipe to finely chop and combine the soaked chickpeas with the other ingredients to make a finely ground, uniform mixture.
deep fryer, dutch oven, or deep skillet:
I prefer to fry my falafel, which are deliciously crunchy on the outside, and tender and moist inside. You could try oven-frying or using an air-fryer for these, but I can’t guarantee the results.
You’ll need either a deep fryer or a skillet or dutch oven deep enough to safely hold 1-3″ of oil with room to fry the falafel without overflowing. I use this cast iron dutch oven, which retains heat well, and helps contain the spatters for safely frying with less mess.
How to Make Spicy Beet Falafel
soak chickpeas:
- Rinse and then soak the dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of water (they will absorb and expand to approx 2x their initial volume, so make sure to leave room in the container).
- Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, and let them air dry while you prep the remaining ingredients.
prep other ingredients:
- Wash, peel, and grate or shred the raw beet. I use a food processor disc attachment to quickly shred the beet before changing to the chopping blade to minimize mess, but you can also shred or finely chop the beet by hand.
- Wash and pat dry the fresh herbs or greens, remove the stems, and roughly chop.
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Peel and crush or roughly chop the garlic.
- Wash and roughly chop the jalapeno or other pepper, removing seeds if you would like to reduce the heat.
make the falafel mix:
- Add the drained soaked chickpeas to the shredded beet in the food processor bowl, fitted with a chopping blade.
- Add in all other ingredients except for the baking powder, flour/starch, and oil.
- Pulse the food processor until the mixture is uniform and resembles coarse meal or wet sand. The mixture should hold together when squeezed, but should not be a fine paste or puree. You want a finely ground mixture that retains some texture but that will hold together. See photo four above for an illustration of what it should look like when it’s ready.
chill & let rest:
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a covered bowl or air-tight container and chill for at least one hour. This will let the mixture come together, lets the flavors blend, and helps keep your falafel from falling apart when they’re frying.
- MAKE AHEAD TIP: You can store this mixture in the fridge or freezer at this point, see below for food-safety tips and storage instructions.
mix again & shape:
- Sift the baking powder into the falafel mixture and mix very well to distribute.
- If the mixture feels overly wet, or doesn’t stick together well, you may want to add a bit of chickpea or regular flour, or other starch (cornstarch or potato starch, or arrowroot) to the mixture as a binder. If you aren’t sure, you can fry a test falafel to check the consistency until you are sure what it should feel like.
- Using a large cookie or portion scoop, 1/4-1/3 c. dry measuring cup, or your hands, portion and shape roughly into golf-ball sized balls, then flatten them slightly so they cook more evenly.
- MAKE AHEAD TIP: You can stop here, and refrigerate on wrapped trays overnight, or freeze solid in a single layer before transferring to bags.
fry the beet falafel:
- In a deep fryer, dutch oven, or deep-sided skillet, heat 1-3″ of neutrally-flavored, high-smoke point oil (like peanut, canola, or grapeseed oil) to about 375F.
- To test the oil without a thermometer, use the handle of a wooden spoon. When the oil is hot, dip the spoon handle in the oil and look for tiny bubbles coming from the wood. You can also test it with a small ball of falafel mixture.
- Fry the falafel in batches, flipping them gently once they brown if you are using a shallower amount of oil and they are not completely submerged.
- Don’t crowd the pan, and adjust the heat as needed to keep it as close to 375F as possible. If the oil is not hot enough, the falafel will soak up too much oil and be greasy. If it’s too hot, they will burn before cooking through, or the oil will “crack” and burn, which can add off-flavors. Keep an eye on that temp as you fry all the falafel!
- Because of the beets, these will have a deeper brown color than regular falafel before they are done.
drain & keep warm:
- Continue cooking the falafel in batches, keeping them warm until serving on a tray in the oven, lined with a metal rack or paper towels so they aren’t sitting in oil.
Storage & Meal Prep Ideas
You can keep this ground beet falafel recipe mixture in the fridge for 3-5 days, or freeze it for several months before using. Freeze the bulk falafel mixture either in a freezer bag or air-tight container for longer storage.
For more convenience (but a shorter freezer life), shape the mixture into balls, freeze on baking sheets, and transfer to freezer bags or air-tight containers after they are frozen solid.
You can make and fry the beet falafel just before serving for the best crunch, or shape and freeze them before or after frying.
Reheat fried falafel in the oven or an air-fryer for the best results, though you can heat them briefly in the microwave if you’re in a hurry, and willing to lose some crunch.
Spicy Beet Falafel
Ingredients
- 3 cups soaked raw chickpeas, drained (approx. 1 ½ cups dry chickpeas, soaked overnight)
- 1 cup raw beet, washed, peeled, & shredded
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley, or mix of parsley, dill, cilantro, arugula, or baby mixed greens
- ¼ cup chopped raw onion
- 6 cloves fresh peeled garlic
- 1 large jalapeno or Serrano pepper about 2 tbsp, seeded & chopped
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion or garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
add just before shaping & frying
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1-2 tbsp chickpea flour, all purpose flour, or other starch (add only if finished falafel mixture feels very wet, or if a test falafel doesn't stick together well when frying)
Instructions
soak chickpeas:
- Rinse and then soak the dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of water (they will absorb and expand to approx 2x their initial volume, so make sure to leave room in the container).
- Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, and let them air dry while you prep the remaining ingredients.
prep other ingredients:
- Wash, peel, and grate or shred the raw beet. I use a food processor disc attachment to quickly shred the beet before changing to the chopping blade to minimize mess, but you can also shred or finely chop the beet by hand.
- Wash and pat dry the fresh herbs or greens, remove the stems, and roughly chop.
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Peel and crush or roughly chop the garlic.
- Wash and roughly chop the jalapeno or other pepper, removing seeds if you would like to reduce the heat.
make the falafel mix:
- Add the drained soaked chickpeas to the shredded beet in the food processor bowl, fitted with a chopping blade.
- Add in all other ingredients except for the baking powder, flour/starch, and oil.
- Pulse the food processor until the mixture is uniform and resembles coarse meal or wet sand. The mixture should hold together when squeezed, but should not be a fine paste or puree. You want a finely ground mixture that retains some texture but that will hold together. See photo four above for an illustration of what it should look like when it’s ready.
chill & let rest:
- Transfer the falafel mixture to a covered bowl or air-tight container and chill for at least one hour. This will let the mixture come together, lets the flavors blend, and helps keep your falafel from falling apart when they’re frying.
mix again & shape:
- Sift the baking powder into the falafel mixture and mix very well to distribute.
- If the mixture feels overly wet, or doesn’t stick together well, you may want to add a bit of chickpea or regular flour, or other starch (cornstarch or potato starch, or arrowroot) to the mixture as a binder. If you aren’t sure, you can fry a test falafel to check the consistency until you are sure what it should feel like.
- Using a large cookie or portion scoop, 1/4-1/3 c. dry measuring cup, or your hands, portion and shape roughly into golf-ball sized balls, then flatten them slightly so they cook more evenly.
fry the beet falafel:
- In a deep fryer, dutch oven, or deep-sided skillet, heat 1-3″ of neutrally-flavored, high-smoke point oil (like peanut, canola, or grapeseed oil) to about 375 F.
- To test the oil, use the handle of a wooden spoon. When the oil is hot, dip the spoon handle in the oil and look for tiny bubbles coming from the wood. You can also test it with a small ball of falafel mixture.
- Fry the falafel in batches, flipping them gently once they brown if you are using a shallower amount of oil and they are not completely submerged.
- Because of the beets, they will have a deeper brown color than regular falafel before they are done.
drain & keep warm:
- Continue cooking the falafel in batches, keeping them warm until serving on a tray in the oven, lined with a metal rack or paper towels so they aren’t sitting in oil.
Nutrition
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